Guardian Angel
by Beanacre0
Summary: Compliment with DH and the 7th Season. Caleb gets wind that Buffy knows of his plans and puts a end to her, for good. Across the seas, a new Slayer is called. A magical girl by the name of Hermione Granger. How will the end play out now? HG x XH
1. Chapter 1: Death of a Slayer

I hope you enjoy this story and that this is an original idea. It just popped into my head. Enjoy :)**

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Chapter One**

**Death of a Slayer**

Buffy let her house, fighting the tears with each step. It wasn't fair. How dare they kick her out! Of her own home too! She wandered down the streets, as if in a daze. She still couldn't quite believe it.

All around her, families were bundling into cars with all their possessions and making a bid for freedom. Buffy watched them, wishing that somehow she could join then, that she could be free of the burden of knowing what was to come.

But it wasn't so. She was needed here, even if she wasn't appreciated. That was the story of her life. She was the one always saving the world, but no one ever truly thanked her. Not even her friends.

Buffy sighed. She'd given a lot up for them, for this world. Heck, she practically single handed destroyed her parents marriage, she had died TWICE and had had to kill the man so loved most in the world. What did she get in return? To get kicked out because they didn't trust her not to save them.

Picking a house at random, Buffy kicked down the door and entered the house. A man came running into the hall with a shot gun aimed right at her.

"Don't move!" He shouted. He looked so tired and slightly insane. This town was making them all mad. "Get out of my house."  
"Hey." Buffy grabbed the gun out of his hands as if he had been moving in slow motion. "I thought the place would be empty. I was looking for a place to crash. You know, you really should leave."

The man eyed her with shock and mistrust. "You can't just kick me out of my own house."

Buffy sighed as she thought of the way the others had just done exactly that to her. "Why not? It's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays. It's not your house. It's not your town. Not anymore."

The man ran off without anything, not wanting to risk being shot by the shot gun Buffy was still carrying listlessly in her hand.

She went into the fridge, not really registering the man's exit. "Got any Tab?" She called out.

"Hello?" Buffy walked back into the hall and sighed when she noticed the man was gone.

The door was still open to the elements. Walking over Buffy shut it and leaned against it for a minute. Her mother would be so disappointed in how easily she and Dawn had fallen apart.

Breaking out of her thoughts she pushed off the door as her stomach gurgled. "More for me." She muttered with a shrug before heading back into the kitchen.

The potentials stared on in shock as the one Vampire they considered cool fought their new leader. Over Buffy too.

"I don't understand." Amanda said as she watched the Vampire storm out of the house. "Why does he care so much? He knows what Buffy is like, he knows how bossy she is."

Kennedy shook her head. "He loves her. His judgement is clouded by it. But ours is not."

Behind them, Dawn slumped into the stool she was sat on. She felt a pang. Spike was more loyal to Buffy than she was; a Vampire was more loyal to Buffy than her own sister.

"I'm a horrible sister." She muttered before placing her head in her arms and sighing.

"Dawnie, no you're not." Willow soothed, hugging the teenage girl tenderly.

"I turned my back on Buffy, but she's never done us wrong before." Dawn protested.

"She has. We just have more to lose now." Willow said sadly, stroking Dawn's hair.

"When?" Dawn snapped, standing and brushing Willow's hands away. "I have to think."

She pushed past Willow and ran up to her bedroom. Willow just watched her go sadly. "Oh, Dawn."

Buffy moved from the kitchen in the man's house and went to sit by the window. She stared out into the gloom, vaguely wondering if Spike was alright. She had left before he had come back.

Buffy's eyes panned along the street before coming to the entrance to one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. Those thoughts brought her to memories of the happier days with her mother and Dawn, before Slaying had taken over her life.

_Hank Summers was on a business trip, leaving his wife, Joyce, and their two daughters, Buffy, aged 13, and Dawn, aged 8, at their home in Los Angeles. _

"_What shall we do today girls?" Joyce asked as she stood in the kitchen looking at her daughters. _

_Buffy was looking bored and was drawing idly in her notebook while Dawn looked interested. _

"_How about a Picnic?" Dawn suggested. _

"_Yawn." Buffy remarked. _

"_Buffy! That's a lovely idea Dawn. Picnic it is." Joyce smiled at her brunette child. _

_Joyce, Buffy and Dawn sat under an oak tree in the park near their house, the picnic basket that was once laden with food lay forgotten at the edge of the blanket. _

_Buffy had to admit, even though she first thought a picnic was a lame idea, she was having fun. Her mother was telling her and her sister stories of her childhood, making them laugh. _

_Suddenly Dawn leapt up. "Tag!" She cried before running off in another direction. _

_Buffy narrowed her eyes and followed her sister, catching up with her easy enough. She was a quick runner. _

_The two spent the day playing tag while Joyce alternated between watching them and reading. It was the perfect day. _

Buffy moved from the window. Of course, she hadn't known then that the extra speed had been due to her being a potential. None of them could have known how drastically their lives would change.

She sighed heavily and walked towards the bedroom, pulling a blanket over her as she snuggled down. She needed her rest if she was to fight Caleb alone.

After a while of not being able to sleep and blank staring, there was a knock on the door. The door banged open and footsteps approached the room. But Buffy didn't care, she was now lost in her thoughts of how her friends had turned her away.

"There you are." Spike sighed as walked into the room. "Do you realize I could just walk in here, no invite needed? This town really is theirs now, isn't it?"

Buffy didn't respond and just stared at him, the pain of being rejected reflecting in her eyes.

Spike gave her a small half smile. "I heard. I was over there. That bitch. She's all about smiles and reformation when you're on your feet. And the moment you're down? She's all about the kicking, isn't that right? Makes me want to—."

Buffy just stared at the wall, betrayal still ringing deep. "It wasn't just Faith. It was all of them and it's not like they were wrong. Please leave." She said, sounding small.

Spike shook his head. "No, this'll change your tune. I came here 'cause I got something to tell you. You were right. Caleb is trying to protect something from you and I think you were spot on all the way. I think it's at the vineyard."

"Very good." A voice said behind Spike.

He turned to see Caleb standing there with Bringers either side of him and the First standing at his right side, currently looking like Buffy who was looking horrified.

Before either Buffy or Spike could move, the Bringers sprang onto Spike and held him down.

He tried to fight as best he could, but the sheer number and brunt force of the Bringers forced him to the floor. He could only watch on in horror as the scene unfolded before him.

The First stepped forward and changed to look like Merrick, cutting Buffy deeply.

"You were such an embarrassment. You should have protected me, but you just let me die!" Merrick spat.

Buffy shook her head. "No, you're the first. I know what you are trying to do." She insisted.

"Failure!" Merrick hissed before taking on Angel's form.

"Seriously, what was I thinking? Having you as my girlfriend was excruciating! You're so whiney and annoying." Angel said a vicious smirk on his lips.

"No, no, no!" Buffy chanted, covering her ears, determined not to let the First get inside her head.

"Yes, yes, yes." Angel snarled, stepping ever closer.

With each step the First shifted into each of the girls that had died so far. "Failure!" They chanted, the voices blurring into one.

Then the First took on the form which struck Buffy the hardest. Joyce Summers stood before her.

"Mom?" She said in a small voice.

"Buffy." Joyce smiled at Buffy.

"Mom, I wish you were here." Buffy wept.

Joyce shook her head. "I don't. You have truly mucked up. Look at all those who have died because of you. You should have quit while you were ahead."

"NO." Buffy wailed.

"You just left Dawn. All on her own. You are a rubbish sister and a pathetic guardian." The First continued.

Spike's voice broke the First's hold on her. "Buffy, look out!"

Buffy turned to see Caleb standing behind her. Before she could react, Caleb grabbed her head and twisted it to the side. There was a crack and Buffy fell to the floor, lifeless. Dead.

Spike slumped as he stared at the body that lay before him. "No, Buffy." He whispered.

"Let's go." The First ordered, leading the Bringers and Caleb out of the small house.

Spike crawled over to Buffy's body and picked her up into his arms, rocking and back and forth as he cried over her. "Buffy, you can't go. We need you. I need you." He wept.

The First let out an evil chuckle as it watched the Vampire grieve.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next should be right up. Next Chapter: The New Slayer is summoned, but who is she?


	2. Chapter 2: New Slayer

The next chapter is up. Enjoy :)**  


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Chapter Two**

**New Slayer**

Across the seas, Hermione Jane Granger was getting ready to go to lunch with Harry and Ron, her best friends in the whole wide world and her rocks.

She threw her hair into a ponytail, securing it with a wave of her wand, and rushed out of her flat. She apperated at once to the café, in the Muggle World, where she was meeting the boys.

She appeared in an alley beside the Café. After checking the coast was clear, Hermione slipped into the streets and marched into the Café. She soon spotted the messy jet black hair of her best friend and the fiery red hair of her other best friend.

"Hey." She greeted as she took a seat.

Each boy grinned at their once bushy haired friend. "Hi." Harry smiled, nodding at her.  
"'ello!" Ron chimed.

"Have I kept you waiting long? I overslept." Hermione asked.

"It's fine." Harry assured her.

Hermione smiled and sighed in relief. "Good. I am just so stressed out. Nightmares keeping me up and all."

"Us too." Ron agreed.

"Do you think they will ever stop?" Harry idly mused.

"Maybe, with time." Hermione sighed sadly. "How is Teddy?"

Harry's godson lost both parents to the war and was now living with Andromeda Tonks. Harry visited as often as he could.

"He's great. Andy thinks he will say his first word any day." Harry enthused.

"Great." Ron grinned.

"But he's so young." Hermione protested.

"He's not that young. Besides, he obviously got Remus' smarts." Harry's voice died away as morbid thoughts of those lost came back.

The war had been horrific, so many had died. The Weasleys were struggling to come to terms with Fred's death. George was taking it the worst and had actually attempted suicide a couple of times, causing Molly to keep him under lock and key at home and in her sight at all times. She couldn't lose another child.

Hermione had sent her own family, her parents and little brother, off to Australia in the hopes that they might have been safe. It was in vain and the Deatheaters managed to find them.

Hermione had found their bodies three months after they had been killed, just as the war ended, and was violently ill.

It was a sight nobody should ever have to see. But then again, the Golden Trio weren't nobodies. They were the saviours of the wizarding world, aged well before their time and their peers.

"Anyway! Happier topic!" Ron chimed, trying to bring his friends out of the sinking pit of despair. "I have a date with Luna Lovegood."

"Another one? Ron that's great." Hermione smiled.

Although the two had kissed, they had found it rather awkward and admitted they only liked each other as brother and sister. So they had let it go and Ron had taken a liking to Luna. He had been on a couple of dates with her already. They really suited each other, in an odd sort of way.

As Hermione listened to how the boys lives were going, how they each had partners and were happy, she felt a pang of loneliness. All she had for company when the nightmares got bad were her books.

Crookshanks, her beloved Crookshanks, had been sent to Australia with her family and was also killed in the attack. It had been the final blow and Hermione couldn't bring herself to get another cat. It just didn't seem right.

The three sat there late into the afternoon before Harry remembered he and Ginny had to go shopping to get some new furniture for Grimauld Place so left Hermione and Ron alone.

"I don't know what to do anymore. Now the war is over." Hermione admitted sadly.

"I know what you mean. We've been fighting since we were eleven years old, the trolls, the stone and all that." Ron agreed.

"Do you think Harry feels the same? I mean it was different for him. He was in the middle of it." Hermione asked.

"I think so, sometimes. We have all been fighting for so long it feels odd not fighting anymore."

"I suppose an Auror is the closest thing to fighting we are going to get. It's an adventure I suppose."

"Yeah. It'll be you, me and Harry like old times."

"Yeah."

The two Gryffindors sighed slightly. They had taken their OWLs just the week before, after intense study sessions at Grimauld Place. That was why they weren't returning to Hogwarts in the September. They felt it would be wrong to do so.

After everything, they weren't school children anymore and it would just be odd to walk the halls of Hogwarts once more. Even if it was their second home, or first home in Harry's case.

"I'd better get going. My date with Luna is in a few hours and I want to look my best. I'm cooking dinner, one of mum's recipes." Ron said after a while, standing.

"Good luck." Hermione smiled, hugging him.

"Yeah, see ya." Ron kissed her cheek before leaving the café and using the alley to apperate.

Hermione reluctantly left the Café and apperated home, falling into her seat as soon as she got home.

After a while sat there thinking, she got up to put her coat away in the closet.

Hermione pulled the door, but it wouldn't budge. It sometimes did this, get stuck.

She gave it a tug using all her strength and the door wrenched open, breaking in half as it did so.

Hermione stared at the door. It had never done that before. She wasn't that strong, or hadn't been.

Hermione ran to the mirror and stared at her reflection, making sure there was nothing on her that could have attributed to the strange show of power she had just shown.

"I shouldn't have been able to do that." She muttered, shaking her head. She checked her reflection once more before heading back out to the door she had left broken.

With a frown, Hermione put her coat back and began to clear up the splinters the door had left behind. She grabbed her dustpan and brush, thankful, not for the first time, that she had thought to get Lino and charm it with a few good spells.

She bent down and scooped the excess wood into the dustpan, becoming lost in thought.

'_How the hell could I have done that? Did someone spike my Hot Chocolate at the Café? I know I haven't willingly taken any drugs that could have caused that.'_

'_But what else could it be? If I had been able to do anything like that, the war may have been over a lot quicker than it was. I might have been able to save someone. Maybe.'_

Hermione scooped the last bit of the wood into the dustpan, trying desperately to block the awful thoughts that maybe, just maybe, she could have changed the outcome of the war. That just maybe she could have saved someone like Fred or even Snape. Or she could have saved Tonks or Remus.

But it didn't do to dwell on what ifs.

Hermione went to get up when she caught sight of something unusual.

A blonde woman was standing in front of her, looking rather confused as she looked around Hermione's apartment. "What the hell?"

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Please Read and Review. Buffy may be gone, but she won't be forgotten. And who is this person in Hermione's flat? Next Chapter: The blonde figure is revealed.


	3. Chapter 3: Ghost

I hope you are enjoying this Fanfic and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I will try answer as best as I can. Enjoy :)**

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Chapter Three**

**Ghost**

Hermione stood up quickly and stared at the woman who was staring right back at her.

"Who are you?" They both asked at the same time.

"I'm Buffy Summers." The woman introduced.

"Hermione Granger." Hermione replied.

Buffy held out her hand and Hermione went to shake it, but her hand just went right through.

Buffy held up her hand to her face and stared at it. "What's going on?" She muttered.

Hermione bit her lip. She had a pretty good idea about what probably had happened. "What do you remember last?"

"I was in this house with my friend, Spike, when we were attacked." Buffy paused and her hand went to her neck. "I was killed, my neck was broken. Oh god."  
Hermione smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."  
"Why am I here though? Shouldn't I have passed on?"

"Sometimes your spirit doesn't. If they have unfinished business."

"I know, but I didn't…oh yeah. But why am I in, where am I?" Buffy looked around, puzzled.

"In my apartment in London." Hermione replied.

"As in London, England, United Kingdom?" Buffy gasped.

Hermione looked confused. "Yes. Why?"  
"I died in Sunnydale, California."

"Oh my…How the hell did you get here? Why did you come here?" Hermione gasped.

"I don't know. Hey, what happened to your door?" Buffy asked, looking at the broken closet door.

"It was jammed and I pulled it. It's never happened to me before. Just like this burst of strength." Hermione told her.

Buffy froze. A burst of strength? As in Slayer strength? She had had the same thing happen to her when she was first a slayer.

"Hermione, I think I know why I am here."  
"Why?" The young woman asked, standing up and walking to the kitchen to put the wood in the bin.

"You're a Vampire Slayer."

Hermione froze. "Excuse me?"

"Vampires are real and…"

"I already know Vampires are real, I haven't heard the term Vampire Slayer before." Hermione sighed.

Buffy smiled wryly. Giles would have been so proud if he could hear her actually take his little speech seriously. "As long as there have been Vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world with the strength and speed to stop the spread of their evil. When one dies another is called."

"I need to sit down." Hermione gasped, fumbling to her sofa and sinking into it. "You're saying that I am the Vampire Slayer."

"Not the only one." Buffy shrugged.

"But you said…"

"I know. When I was sixteen, I was bitten and weakened by a Vampire called the Master,"

Hermione gasped. "The master?"  
"You know of him?" Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"Of course. I know of all the famous Vampires. The Master, Darla, Angelus, Drusilla, William the Bloody. The list goes on." Hermione told her.

"How?" Buffy asked.

Hermione drew her wand. "I'm not only a Slayer, I'm a witch too."

Buffy shook her head. "And how do you know of the Vampires then?"

"We were taught about them in school. I'll explain later. You were saying." Hermione smiled.

"Okay, so the Master threw me into some water and I drowned. I was revived, but it was enough for my successor to be called. A Slayer called Kendra. She died a year later, killed by Drusilla, and Faith was called. I guess this time when I died you were called. But that doesn't account for when I died two years ago." Buffy mused.

"You die a lot." Hermione remarked dryly.

"Two years ago I sacrificed myself in my sister's place. There was like this portal opening and to close it she had to die. But seeing as we shared the same blood, I was able to be substitute. My friends resurrected me and here I am today." Buffy held her arms out. "Dead again, apparently." She huffed.

"I'm sorry. Maybe the mystical energy within the portal disrupted the, what is it that calls the next Slayer?" Hermione paused, puzzled.

"The Powers That Be." Buffy told her.

"Maybe the portal's energy disrupted the link between the Slayer and the Powers That Be. Maybe that's why a new Slayer wasn't called." Hermione suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. But right now, you are needed in my hometown. There's a big fight going on. A war." Buffy said urgently.

Hermione grinned and stood up right away. "Great. An adventure. Just what I have been looking for."

"You have?" Buffy asked.

"Well, recently in the Wizarding World…"

"There's a Wizarding World?" Buffy gasped.

"Oh yeah. Yes, there is a whole separate world hidden beneath the one you know. We have shopping alleys and all sorts. We have our own currency and schools. Even our own methods of transport, besides the obvious Broomstick of course. But even they have many different models, each one faster than the next. Brooms are a bit like cars in that way." Hermione explained briefly.

She went on to explain the bloodlines roughly and the history surrounding the war. She also went onto to explain how she, Harry and Ron played central figures in the war.

"So, after all that, we feel our lives are empty. It just feels so mundane. That's why this is right up my street." Hermione grinned.

Buffy nodded. "Sounds fair. I think the Powers chose the right girl to become the next Slayer."

"Thanks. So when do we go?" Hermione smiled at the former Slayer's ghost.

"We can go as soon as you get plane tickets and are all packed." Buffy told her.

"I have a much quicker way to travel than plane." Hermione grinned, fingering her wand.

"Okay, so that only leaves the packing."

"Easy." Hermione turned to her flat and silently summoned her bottomless bag.

She went around her flat collecting only those things she would need the most; clothes, shoes, essentials, her mini potions kit, her potions supplies, obviously her potions, her magical books and her three way mirror that was linked to Harry and Ron's own mirrors.

She laid them out on her sofa and double checked that she had everything. "There."

"How are you going to fit all that, in there?" Buffy asked, curiously eying the small bag.

"Appearances can be deceiving. It's a bottomless bag, sort of like Mary Poppins' bag. Pack." Hermione ordered, her wand pointed at all the items she had laid out.

Buffy watched in amazement as the items flew into the bag, some bigger items even shrinking a little.

"I'm not sure how this will work with you, but here it goes." Hermione said, turning on the spot.

There was a pop and the flat was empty of life.

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Please Read and Review. So Buffy is a Ghost. I told you she wasn't gone for good :) I hope you are enjoying this story, if you are let me know. Next Chapter: It's back to Sunnydale


	4. Chapter 4: Sunnydale

Okay, I have pre-written eight chapters and am currently on Chapter Nine. I am trying to keep it as close to the final episodes as I can. I hope you enjoy it :)**

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Chapter Four**

**Sunnydale**

The border of Sunnydale was silent. All those who were going to leave for the night had already done so and the rest were planning to leave at first light. Things were worse than ever before.

There was a loud crack and two figures appeared; one with a slightly transparent look to her and was only visible to her companion, the other had a wand concealed up her sleeve and had a beaded bag thrown over one shoulder.

Hermione looked to her right to see the big 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign that had been put back up after Spike had ran over it a few years ago. "I guess we're in the right place."

"Looks like. This place still gives me the Wiggins. Must be the First." Buffy said.

"The bad guy you were all fighting, yeah?" Hermione confirmed.

"That's the one." Buffy nodded.

"Lovely." Hermione huffed. "You get rid of one bad guy and another takes its place."

"Telling me." Buffy agreed.

Spike stayed sat on the floor of the house, staring at the Slayer's body numbly. She was gone.

"She can't be gone." He whispered. "I won't believe it."

So he stayed, staring at the body of the Slayer as if hoping she would wake up and everything would be okay again.

After an hour of no movement, no life flickering in those glassy green eyes, Spike picked up the body and walked out of the door.

The arguments back at the Summers house had reached a peak. The girls were all stressed out at the big change and Faith wasn't much better. "Okay, alright. Shut up!" She yelled.

The room went silent.

"I think this plan could work." Faith started.

"But you could be doing a Buffy." Viv pointed out.

"I'm not B!" Faith spat.

There was a knock on the door, breaking the tension. Dawn rushed over and pulled the door open.

Her eyes spotted her sister's body instantly. "Buffy?" She said with a small pained whisper.

She registered Buffy's blank eyes and felt as if her world had dropped away. "No!"

Her distressed cry made everyone look round. Dawn fell to the floor, much like she had when Joyce had died.

Xander and Willow exchanged worried looks and ran over to comfort the teen.

They looked up and spotted what Dawn had seen. "Spike. What happened?" Xander asked, swallowing thickly.

Spike entered the house and everyone caught sight of Buffy's dead body. "Caleb got her. The First taunted her and bringers held me down so I couldn't stop him. He just killed her." He said numbly.

Giles approached, a pang of pain cutting deep within him. "Buffy. Oh, Buffy. I failed you." He wept.

Spike led Buffy's body respectfully onto the sofa, his head bowed as he did so.

Dawn broke free from Xander and Willow's grasp and ran to her sister's body. She knelt down and stroked her hair softly. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. I love you." She wept, laying her head on the still chest.

She wished with all her might that Buffy's heart might spontaneously start beating again. Then a thought struck her.

"We could bring her back! Like last time!" She cried desperately.

Giles shook his head. "Those were different circumstances. Buffy had died a mystical death. But this time, she was killed by human hands." He sighed.

"But I need her. She's all I have left!" Dawn protested.

The Potentials looked away, unable to stand the grief that the others were all sharing. It was their fault, all of theirs. If they hadn't pushed the Slayer away….

Kennedy got up and walked over to her girlfriend, pulling her into her arms and stroking her red hair. "Shh, it's alright."

"We failed her." Willow cried.

"We didn't know." Kennedy argued, trying to convince not only Willow but herself.

"We have to have a temporary funeral." Giles stuttered, not truly believing it.

Faith snapped out of her daze. "I'll get the wood."

"Wood?" Willow asked, knowing what Faith meant to do.

"Why not?" Faith shrugged.  
"How about burying her? It's a kinder thing to do." Xander argued.  
"I don't want to see Buffy burn. Please?" Dawn said in a small voice, still clutching Buffy.

"Okay, kid. Burial it is." Faith sighed. "You and you, come with me. We have a grave to dig. You two, go find Buffy's original gravestone and bring it back here. Willow will help you."

So they got to work. Dawn and Anya dressed Buffy in her best dress, the lilac one she wore to the Prom. It still fitted, thankfully, and Anya did her make up.

After they were done, Buffy looked lovely and it was hard to tell her soul no longer resided in her body.

Dawn leaned over and kissed her head, tears running down her face as she did so. "I love you and I'm sorry."

Anya placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Buffy, you saved us lots of time. Thank you and I will miss you."

Giles knocked on the door and the two women turned. "She's ready." Anya told him.

Giles nodded and picked up his Slayer's body. He held it tight to him, like a father would with a sleeping child. But to Giles, Buffy was near enough his daughter. Or had been.

The group gathered around the make shift grave, the headstone that was now modified to fit the new death date stood at the head of the grave. Giles laid Buffy's body in some sheets the potentials had gotten.

Slowly, they lowered her body into the grave as Willow spoke the ancient Latin burial rites that she had studied as part of her research on spells and witches.

Once she was in, they threw the sheets in so they covered the body and two of the others began to fill the grave back up.

Sadly, the group walked back into the house with Robin and Andrew, leaving Spike, Faith and the Scoobies outside by the graveside to say their own goodbyes.

"Buff, you will be missed. Our own private superhero." Xander said, smiling sadly.

"B, I am so sorry. I let you down. I…I should have argued that you stayed. I should have done something. I'm the other Slayer." Faith sighed, looking down at her feet.

"You were like my daughter, Buffy. I am sorry I turned my back on you. If I had known." Giles trailed off.

"Excuse me?" A soft English voice began breaking the Scoobies' private time to say goodbye.

"What?" Spike snapped.

They turned to see a young woman with honey brown curls that fell down mid way down her back and beautiful deep chocolate brown eyes. She looked nervous.

"Mr Giles?" She asked timidly.

"Yes? How did you know?" Giles gasped slightly. "I mean how can I help you?"  
"My name is Hermione Granger. I have reason to believe I am the new Slayer."

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Please Read and Review. So everyone is feeling guilty and Hermione has arrived in Sunnydale. Keep tuned for the next chapter. Next Chapter: Introductions are made


	5. Chapter 5: Introductions

The next chapter is up. I hope you like it.**

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Chapter Five**

**Introductions**

"Excuse me?" Giles spluttered.

Buffy moved round to look at her grave. "Wow, this is so morbid. I'm looking at my own grave."

Hermione bit her lip. "I am the new Vampire Slayer. I have the sudden speed, strength and agility that I have never had before. I mean, I just killed a Vampire a minute ago when I was walking through one of the graveyards."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes. It shocked me, but I had…" Hermione was about to say that Buffy was helping her when the ex-Slayer began shaking her head.

"I don't want them to know. Not yet." Buffy protested.

"…My instincts telling me what to do." Hermione finished with a slight shrug.

"Really? And how do you know of Vampire Slayers." Giles asked sceptically.

"Well, I'm not exactly normal, before the Slayer stuff that is. I'm a witch." Hermione pulled her wand out of her sleeve.

"Oh, I'm a witch too." Willow smiled.  
"Did you go to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang? I don't remember you at Hogwarts. Then again, you're American so I am assuming you went to Salem's Academy. Where is the Wizarding Shopping District in this area? I need to stock up on Boomslang." Hermione gushed, excited she wasn't the only one.

Then she noticed Willow's puzzled look. "Huh?" Willow said, confused out of her mind.

"You are a witch aren't you? Not a Wicca?" Hermione asked slowly, kicking herself for not checking.

"I'm a Wicca. There are other types of witches? And what were you talking about? Warthogs and Boon slang?" Willow rattled off.

"Hogwarts and Boomslang. There is a whole world of other witches and wizards, wand waving and broom riding witches and wizards. We have school and money and our own hospitals."

Hermione went on to explain the wizarding World a little more. The Scoobies listened, fascinated.

"Lets get her inside." Giles suggested after a while. "It's time we introduce the potentials and the others to her."  
Buffy followed Hermione, sadly looking at her friends' puffy red eyes where they had been crying.

"I hate to see them so sad." She told Hermione.

Hermione shot her a small comforting smile as discretely as she could. After all, she was the only one who could see Buffy.

Faith, Robin, Andrew and the girls were in the basement, each lost to their thoughts. They jumped when the door opened and one by one the Scoobies came down stairs.

A young girl, of about eighteen, was following them. Giles brought attention to himself while Willow went over to stand beside Kennedy and the others went over to Faith, Andrew and Robin.

"Everybody, this is Hermione Granger. She is the new Slayer, Buffy's successor." He announced.

The girls all stared at her and Hermione shifted slightly. "Um, hi." She gave a little wave.

"Wow, they all look sad for the people who kicked me out and hated me not twenty four hours ago." Buffy remarked, looking at the potentials one by one.

Hermione discreetly cast a silent muffling spell and spoke to Buffy. "I suspect they didn't hate you, but your methods. I would think that they are all feeling rather guilty now that you are dead."  
"It wasn't their fault. I probably would have been killed either way." Buffy shrugged.

"Yeah, but you don't know that for certain." Hermione argued.  
"No, I don't. But Caleb and the First are a mean team." Buffy sighed. "I never did tell you exactly about the First did I?"

"Nothing. All I know is that it is the bad guy." Hermione agreed.

"Right, so the First…." Buffy began.

"Hermione?" Giles' voice broke Hermione and Buffy's conversation and Hermione removed the spell.

"Yes?" She smiled.

"Why don't you tell us about your world?" Giles suggested.

"I'd be delighted." Hermione nodded. "First of all, I am a witch. Not a Wiccan witch, but a wand waving witch."

She again went on to tell the tale she had told the others about her world, but expanded it by talking about bloodlines, how she was a Muggleborn and all about the war.

Once she was done, the Potentials and the Scoobies were quiet. "So, this guy was like Hitler?" One of the English Potentials asked.

"Yeah, but with magic to aid him." Hermione confirmed, shivering at the thought. "Torture was a lot easier for him than Hitler."  
"Yikes. And I thought Snyder was bad." Xander joked.

"Okay, our turn." Faith said, standing up.

Hermione took the seat that Faith had just vacated and turned her full attention to her fellow Slayer.

"Okay, there's the idea. We're battling the First Evil. The purest evil there is. But it doesn't have a physical body. It can turn into any dead person it wants." Faith began.

"And any Vampire. It turned into Angel before Caleb killed Buffy." Spike added.

"The First has a minion who does all it's dirty work called Caleb who is a priest, believe it or not. He is super powerful and can bat a Slayer around as if she were a rag doll. He has side kicks called Bringers that work for the first…" Faith continued.

Andrew got up and drew a cartoon of a Bringer on the flipchart that was still there from Anya's lesson. Hermione flinched.

"They find potentials and kill them." Faith told her.

"So everyone is skipping town, right?" Hermione asked.

"Everyone except us. Even the animals are avoiding here." Willow confirmed.

"And this Caleb killed Buffy? Then I was called. Hmm, this sounds a bit like Voldemort with the exception of him being a minion of the First Evil every. Voldemort had minions, he wasn't a minion himself." Hermione mused.

"So, you think you can help?" Robin asked.

"With a little magic I think I can." Hermione smiled.

"Perfect. I think we're back in the game." Faith grinned.

Buffy watched the group from her spot beside Hermione. "Wow, they're so organised. Maybe me leaving did some good."  
Hermione used the muffling spell once more. "No, I think they are grasping at straws. Your death has thrown them for six and they have no idea what to do anymore. My appearance has only given them slight hope because I have magic and spells."

"But so does Willow." Buffy pointed out.

"Different spells. I can probably do a bit more than Willow can and I don't need ingredients for my spells." Hermione argued.

"I see your point." Buffy mused.

Hermione removed the spell and Buffy moved over to the small window of the basement, staring at her grave.

"So Mya, want a tour? Was thinking we can give you one when we go on patrol tonight." Faith called.

"Sure, but Mya?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I shortened Buffy's name to B, so why not? 'Sides, it's easier than saying Hermione all the time." Faith replied.

Hermione shook her head with a smile. "Mya it is then." She grinned, looking at Buffy.

She hoped that in time that the former Slayer would tie up any loose ends and pass on for some well deserved peace.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Poor Buffy, not able to cross over yet. Next Chapter: Caleb and Hermione meet for the first time.


	6. Chapter 6: Caleb

In this chapter, Caleb and the First make their début. Can anyone tell me what accent Caleb has? I want to know so I can use other ways to describe his voice. Thanks :)**

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Chapter Six**

**Caleb**

Hermione was following Faith and the Potentials around the graveyards, listening to Faith tell her which graveyard was which and the various battles she had had in them.

Behind them, the girls were rather quiet as they thought about Buffy and how guilty they were.

The former Slayer herself was walking besides Hermione, listening to the fond tone Faith used when talking about her.

"And then B grabbed this Vampire around and held him for me to stake. We made a good team in the good old days." Faith smiled sadly. "Before I went all evil and all."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Going evil will do that to you."  
"You know about going evil?" Faith asked.

"Not personally, but I have been around evil enough to know about it." Hermione replied.

"Good, then you know who I work for." Caleb said, suddenly appearing before the two Slayers.

Hermione looked the priest up and down with a critical eye. "You must be Caleb then."

Buffy glared at him, knowing that he couldn't see her. "If I was corporal I would so kill him! That's the guy that made me a ghost!"

Hermione shot her predecessor a look as if to say 'No shit Sherlock'. Buffy noticed and looked away, bashful. "I guess you kinda guessed that, huh?"  
Hermione raised her eyebrows in reply.

Caleb took a step closer to Hermione and the others all stepped back while she stood firm. "Well, well, well. You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? A fine specimen of a woman."

"And you're a fine specimen of a leech." Hermione spat back, her eyes glaring into his cold ones.

"Mind that temper, missy." Caleb tutted, reaching out to grab her throat in his vice-like grip.

Hermione ducked and spun out of his grasp. "Don't you touch me!" She growled.

She drew her wand and pointed it right at the phoney priest, her hand as steady as her gaze.

"What are you going to do with that then little lady?" Caleb taunted. "Hit me with it?"  
"Why don't you see? Jelly legs!" Hermione cried.

Caleb felt his legs go weak and wobbly. He tried to take a step forward, but found he was unable to. "Undo your trickery!"

"I don't think I will." Hermione sneered.

One of the Potentials made the mistake of trying to creep around behind the priest. But Caleb spotted her and grabbed her neck firmly. "Remove it or I will snap her neck like a twig."

Hermione felt concern rise up and removed the spell. Caleb smirked and twisted the girl's neck sharply, breaking it.

Buffy stared numbly at the body of yet another girl. "He's too strong Hermione! Get them out of here!"

"What do I have the pleasure of calling you then, Darlin'?" Caleb drawled, stalking closer like a lion hunting his prey.

"Bitch, Witch, Cow, Mudblood, you take your pick." Hermione shot back.

A figure appeared beside Caleb, a man in his thirties. He had pale skin and amber coloured eyes. His sandy blonde hair flopped into his eyes and he had scars all over his body. He wore threadbare clothes, but had an air of elegance and handsomeness around him.

"Her name is Hermione Granger. She's from England and is eighteen years old." The man told Caleb, his voice rich and kindly.

"Remus?" Hermione gasped.

The man turned his gaze on Hermione. "Hermione, Mione, you are such a disappointment. You just let Dora and I die, leaving Teddy all on his own." He scolded.

Hermione remained silent.

"Because of you, the last of the Marauders died. You just let this old werewolf die!" Remus Lupin continued.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Right, that's it!"

Remus continued to circle Hermione. "You threw away the trust of a mentor and father, for what? Fame and glory?"

Hermione glared darkly at the werewolf who was still circling her. "I know who you are. You're the First."

"Disgrace. You weren't even fit to become a witch. You don't deserve it!" Remus continued.

Hermione laughed coldly, a sound that sent shivers down Faith and the Potentials' spines. "Come on, if I can withstand torture without giving in, what makes you think that can stop me?"

The First huffed angrily and resumed Buffy's form. "Very well, Granger." The First took on its natural form before disappearing into thin air, defeated.

Hermione felt a lance of pain shoot through her cheek as her head spun to the side and she fell to the floor.

Turning round, she looked up into the angry and cold eyes of Caleb. She had momentarily forgotten about him.

"How dare you!" Caleb spat, kicking Hermione's face.

Hermione refused to cry out. She hadn't broken under Bellatrix's curse and refused to break now.

Faith flinched at the same time as the Ghost of Buffy did. They both had been beaten up by Caleb and knew how strong he was.

Caleb went to kick Hermione again and she caught his foot firmly in her grasp. She twisted it and Caleb fell to the floor.

Hermione got up and tried to rush to where her wand had fallen when she was first hit.

Caleb grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up so she was inches from the floor. Hermione's wide eyes met his and Caleb smirked viciously, on a power high.

"You shouldn't play with sharp sticks. You might get hurt." He taunted cruelly.

Hermione fought down a whimper and kicked him a spot that would make all men cry.

"Now that wasn't very nice." Caleb snarled, throwing Hermione head first into a headstone.

Hermione felt helpless as Caleb beat her up, punches raining down on her, pain surrounding her. But she had still had worse.

Finally Caleb stopped and stepped away from the young Slayer at his feet. "I think that's enough for tonight. After all, don't want you to miss the main event do we?"

Hermione glared as the priest turned heel and sauntered off. Only after he was gone did Faith and the others rush over.

"Are you alright?" Viv asked.

Hermione spat out some blood and tried to stand, but found she couldn't without putting herself in too much pain. "I've had worse." She remarked dryly.

"Sorry we didn't help, but Caleb has already killed so many of us. Besides, we wouldn't have made a difference." Faith said with a sad look on her face.

Buffy shrugged next to Faith. "She's right. Caleb is ruthless. You are very lucky he didn't kill you. If it was Faith or one of the girls he wouldn't hesitate. As you saw earlier."

"So I know have this weird priest guy who has this kinda crush on me, well enough to let me live, and the First on my back. Well I wanted an adventure." Hermione said sarcastically.

She was helped to her feet by Kennedy and Amanda before swaying on the spot and fainting dead away. "Let's get her back." Faith sighed, carrying the unconscious Slayer.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you liked this chapter. The next will be right up. Next Chapter: Xander nurses Hermione back to a healthier state and an attraction springs up, making Anya jealous.


	7. Chapter 7: Nursing

I hope you are enjoying this story :)**

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Chapter Seven **

**Nursing**

Buffy trailed the group as they headed back to the house. Hermione was a strong young woman and Buffy was pleased that she had been the one to replace her. She really couldn't think of a better person to be the next Slayer than her.

Giles, Willow, Dawn and Xander sat around the dining room table while Andrew was in the living room with Robin and Spike stood in the corner of the dining room.

They were all silently reflecting on Buffy's life. They would all miss her dearly.

The door banged open, making Andrew give off a girly scream, and Faith marched in. "We need some help in here!"

The group exchanged worried looks and hurried into the living room where Faith was laying Hermione out on the sofa.

"Good lord, what happened?" Giles asked.

"Caleb turned up and started to beat her up. She was so brave, stood up to him and refused to scream no matter what." Amanda relayed.

"Yeah, stood up to the First too. Told it she didn't believe it and it went away in a huff." Kennedy smiled.

"Will she be okay?" Dawn asked quietly.

"As long as we can get her patched up. Xander, that falls to you. The rest of us need to have a meeting." Faith ordered.

"Hey, why me?" Xander exclaimed.

"You're good with bandages. Remember when we were five and I fell over. You were the one to patch me up." Willow smiled.

"Ah, I guess. I'll take her to Buffy's room." Xander sighed, gently picking up Hermione and taking her up the stairs.

As the meeting began downstairs, Xander was laying Hermione on Buffy's bed, said ghost standing behind him.

Xander reached out and brushed a lock of hair behind Hermione's ear, in awe of how soft her hair and skin was. There was no denying that Hermione was a beautiful woman and, like most men, Xander appreciated a beauty.

Hermione let out a low moan and opened her eyes. She took in the kind brown eye and eye patch looking down at her. "Xander, right?" She asked in a hoarse voice.

"That's me. How are you feeling?" Xander smiled.

"Like I was hit by a herd of rampaging Hippogriffs. Wait, make that Dragons." Hermione replied with a joking undertone.

Xander's jaw dropped. "Dragons are real?"

"Yep. My friend Harry had to fight one as one of the tasks in the Triwizard Tournament." Hermione chuckled and winced as pain shot through her.

"Are you alright?" Xander looked concerned.

"I've had worse." Hermione waved off his concern.

"Had to imagine." Xander replied.

"There's this spell called the Cruciatus curse. It feels as if your very veins are on fire and as if every bone in your body is breaking into little pieces. That's worse." Hermione told him.

"You were put under it?" Xander raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, a couple of times. But it's fine. It's only there until the caster lets up." Hermione shrugged, her hand reaching up to cup the gentle man's face. "Unlike this. This will always cause you pain. How did it happen?" She asked, looking at the eye patch.

"Buffy led us into Caleb's lair. He killed a couple of potentials before he got hold of me. He poked my eye out." Xander looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry. It must be awful." Hermione said sympathetically.

Xander smiled sadly. "I'll have to get used to it."

"What if I told you that you didn't have to?" Hermione began, thinking of Moody's eye. Of course they had made advancements since them which enabled the eye to become a replica of the other.

"There's no way." Xander dismissed it.

"No Muggle way." Hermione grinned.

"Are you serious?" Xander gasped.

"As Harry's Godfather." Hermione returned.

"Huh?" Xander looked puzzled.

"Harry godfather who died in fifth year was called Sirius Black." Hermione explained.

"Cool name."  
"I know. He always used to make that joke."  
Xander chuckled. "Sounds like a great guy."  
"He was."

"Let's get you bandaged up." Xander picked up some of the bandages and medical equipment he had brought upstairs and began to wrap up one of the bad gashes on Hermione's arm.

Each was silent, lost to their thoughts, as Xander worked on Hermione, bandaging her up.

Hermione was genuinely happy to talk to Xander and found there was a slight pull between the two. Her skin tingled where he had touched it last and she blushed a little whenever he smiled at her. She knew after the tenth time of blushing that she was attracted to him.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Xander was also having the same feelings as she was. He just grasped the fact he liked her a lot quicker as he had had more experience than she at the matters of the heart. After all, he had dating both Cordelia and Anya.

The two spent the next half an hour talking and laughing with each other, the attraction growing with each minute that passed.

Buffy just watched on, glad that Xander was finally having some true happiness after the awful events of late.

The meeting was over downstairs and the Potentials had gone downstairs with Andrew and Robin. This left Faith, Willow, Dawn, Giles, Anya and Spike still sitting around the table.

"Hey, Anya can you take some more bandages to Xander? He's been up there a while. He's probably running out." Willow suggested.

"Okay." Anya smiled.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed some bandages and supplies before going upstairs.

"Xander, I brought…" Anya paused as she noticed the laughter coming from Buffy's room.

She peered around the door to see Xander and Hermione laughing and joking together.

She noted instantly the signs of Attraction, after all she had been a vengeance demon for years and could pick attraction out of a crowd of one hundred.

Jealousy filled the demon and she glared darkly at her ex-lover. "Xander, I brought more supplies."

"Oh, thanks Ahn." Xander smiled.

"I'll just leave them here." Anya replied, placing the supplies on the edge of the bed.

She met Hermione's eyes and glared. "Well, I'm going to go now." She said.

Hermione looked away from the demon's harsh glare. She felt so uncomfortable. She met the ghost of Buffy's eyes over the top of Xander's head.

"Anya was going to marry Xander, but then he realised that he wasn't ready to. They broke up not long ago." Buffy explained.

Hermione cast a spell to communicate with the ghost without the others knowing. _"That's awful. Poor Anya. No wonder she doesn't like me at the moment." _

"I know. But they both deserve some happiness and I know you will make Xander happy." Buffy told her.

Hermione looked into Xander's eye and smiled. _"And I think he will make me happy too. Thanks Buffy." _

Anya slipped out of the room, feeling rather hurt and jealous.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Aw, I feel slightly sorry for Anya. Next Chapter: Training begins and Hermione tells Giles about Buffy.


	8. Chapter 8: Training

This is the next chapter and the last prewritten chapter so far. I hope you enjoy it and I hopefully will update soon. **

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Chapter Eight**

**Training**

Two days later, Hermione was up and about again after taking some of her potions.

Hermione skipped down into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "Good morning." She chimed.

"Morning."

"What's so good about it?"

"I'm too tired!"

"Quit your whining." Spike snapped at the potentials. "Good morning, Hermione."  
Hermione sat down at the breakfast bar and summoned herself some toast and began to eat. "So what's got you all in a bad mood?"

"Training. Again!" One of the Potentials moaned.

"How many times do I have to tell you…" Faith began.

"Training really is vital." Hermione finished. "It helped us a lot in the war. If we weren't trained more of us would have died. Heck, Harry, Ron and I probably wouldn't have even survived those months looking for the Horcruxes."

Faith blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah. What she said."

"Training really helped you?" Amanda asked.

"Of course. How else would I know all the spells I needed? I know that when you are made to do something it isn't as fun as it might have once been, but it is still important." Hermione smiled.

Buffy stood beside Hermione and smiled at her. "Well done. I think that's what they needed."

Hermione nodded at the ghost before turning her attention back to Faith. "So, lead the way."

"Right, this way." Faith jumped up and led Hermione and the potentials outside.

"Right hook, left hook, left kick, right kick." Faith called as she watched the girls and Hermione do as she ordered.

"Right, now to move onto the Vampire Attack." Faith ordered after about an hour of going over the punches and kicks.

The Potentials and Hermione followed Faith down into the Basement were Spike was standing with Andrew and Robin.

Unknown to them, Buffy was standing beside them and looking rather sad as she looked at them.

"I never got to tell them how sorry I was. How much I think I was beginning to love Spike." Buffy said quietly as she registered Hermione's presence in the room.

Hermione just smiled sadly at her and Buffy shrugged. "No use crying over spilt milk." Buffy told her.

"So, Hermione, why don't you go first? The objective is to stake the Vampire, though not really." Robin told the young witch.

"Uh, okay." Hermione took up a stance that Faith had shown her in front of Spike.

Spike mimicked her stance and both waited until Faith gave the word. "GO!"

Spike launched himself at Hermione and caught off guard, Hermione panicked slightly. She dodged to the side and her eyes flicked to Buffy, who was standing in the corner.

"Listen to your instincts. Do whatever they tell you." Buffy called out to her successor.

Hermione nodded and shut her eyes.

Spike swung his fist at Hermione's face, taking advantage of her shut eyes. Hermione caught the fist, millimetres from her face.

Faith's jaw dropped. She hadn't been expecting that. Things just got good.

Hermione threw Spike's fist to the side and the blonde Vampire lunged again. Hermione leapt into the air and did a somersault, landing in a crouch behind him.

Spike let out a soft growl before aiming a kick at her head. Hermione grabbed it and Spike used her hand to propel himself into a somersault, landing neatly upright again.

The two circled each other and Spike faked going right. Hermione sensed this and ducked as his fist collided with the air where she had been only seconds before. While on the floor, Hermione swept Spike's legs out from under him and the Vampire toppled to the floor.

Hermione leapt up and straddled the Vampire, her stake level with his heart. "Dead."

The room was silent as they took in the scene with wide eyes. They hadn't seen moves like that since Buffy.

Buffy herself was smiling proudly at the girl. "Well done. You did brilliantly."

Hermione grinned and got off of Spike, giving him a helping hand up again. Spike nodded at her. "Well done."

"Thanks. You're quite a tough guy to fight." Hermione replied with a wide smile.

"Yeah, well." Spike preened.

"I love a good fight. The feeling of adrenaline. That's why I came here, to get that feeling I used to during the war." Hermione explained.

"How did you know about this?" Spike asked, curious.

Hermione tapped her nose. "I have my sources. Anyway, if you excuse me. I want to train a bit with magic."

As Hermione left the room, the room regained their voices once more. "Wow, that was cool!" Viv gasped.

"How did she do that?" Amanda asked.

"Practise, I'm guessing. That's what a Slayer is supposed to be able to do. What you are supposed to do. Trust your instincts." Faith ordered, reassuming the role of leader.

Hermione went up to Buffy's room and turned an old bottle she found into a full sized training Dummy that looked like a Deatheater. She poised herself and began firing spells at the dummy.

"Bombarda!" She cried.

Giles poked his head around the door just in time to see the dummy burst into ashes. "Uh, Hermione?"

"Oh, Mister Giles. I'm sorry. I'll clean it up." Hermione stammered. "Scourgify."

At once, the room was cleaner than Giles had ever seen it before. "Amazing." He muttered.

"Can I help you with something?" Hermione asked kindly, sitting on Buffy's bed.

Giles hesitated before he entered the room, taking in a ragged breath as he looked around his former Slayer's room. He missed her so much. "I…I just wanted to see if you were settling in okay."

Buffy watched her watcher sadly. "He looks so sad. Tell him I am here. Please?" She asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded. "I'm settling in fine, Mr Giles…"

"Please, call me Giles." Giles interrupted.

"Giles." Hermione smiled. "But I am not alone here. When I first found out I was a Slayer, I pulled one of the doors of my cupboards. Then someone appeared to me, a ghost. Buffy."

Giles stared at her. "Buffy? How?"

"The war is not won here so she can't rest. She's here with us now. I think because I took her place as Slayer, I am the only one who can see her." Hermione explained.

Giles stood up angrily. "You're lying."  
"I'm not!" Hermione protested.

"Prove it!" Giles snarled.

"When he was a demon I recognised him by the eyes. Only he could look that disappointed in me." Buffy replied instantly.

Hermione relayed the answer and Giles went numb. "She's really here? Right now?"

Hermione nodded.

Giles fell to his knees and began to weep, clutching at his hair as he did so. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Buffy. There are no excuses for what I did. Please, please, please forgive me!"

Buffy knelt down beside him and placed a ghostly hand on his shoulder. She looked distressed about not being able to comfort the man she loved like a father. "Please, tell him it wasn't his fault."

Hermione knelt down beside Buffy and gently touched Giles' shoulder. "Buffy says it wasn't your fault. She doesn't blame you." She told him kindly.

"She doesn't? But I failed her!" Giles replied.

"No, you didn't." Both Hermione and Buffy protested at the same time as each other.

"He didn't fail me. I failed him if anything. I should have listened to him." Buffy said, shaking her head.

Hermione lifted Giles up and made him sit on Buffy's bed. "She says you didn't fail her, that she should have listened to you."

"I could never have a asked for a better Slayer, or daughter." Giles said tenderly, smiling at the thought of Buffy.

He had been so proud of her, no matter what she did. She made the hard decisions and saved the world so many times, yet no one ever thanked her. She didn't even ask for thanks.

To lose her three times was heartbreaking and know he knew that he would never see her again. She had been able to come back previously, but this was really it.

"Tell him I love him." Buffy told Hermione. "I can't be here. I…I have to go."

"Buffy wait!" Hermione called.

Buffy paused. "Yeah?"

"You are never alone, remember that. All those people down there are fighting in your memory. You will always be loved, even if you are no longer among the living." Hermione told the former Slayer with a smile on her face. "Seven years of war taught me that."  
"Thanks. I'll see you later." Buffy walked through the door and out of the room.

Hermione turned her attention back to Giles who was looking at her in amazement. "Buffy says she loves you. She had to go for a bit, to clear her head." She told him.

"You are truly a remarkable woman, Hermione Granger. A worthy heir for Buffy's legacy." Giles told the young witch. Hermione smiled and the two shared a comforting hug.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you liked this chapter and the next, fingers crossed, will be up soon. Next Chapter: Hermione and Xander kiss and Hermione recieves an owl from Harry and Ron


	9. Chapter 9: Kiss

I finished this quicker than I thought I would. Yay! Enjoy :)  
**

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Chapter Nine**

**Kiss**

A few days had passed since Buffy and Giles had had their talk through Hermione and the young Slayer had thrown herself into the training, eager to live up to Buffy's legacy.

One night while Hermione was training under Buffy and Giles' instructions, an owl arrived.

"Swing the axe round and cleave off his head." Both Buffy and Giles ordered, making Hermione snort with suppressed laughter as she thought about how much the Slayer and Watcher were alike.

But regardless, Hermione swung the axe round and the Dummy's head fell to the floor. "You know, you and Buffy are so alike. It's like you read each other's minds."

"I take it she said to do the same thing." Giles said.

"At the same time." Hermione grinned.

Giles shook his head. "Now she shows she listened to me."

"Where would the fun be if I showed him when I was alive?" Buffy said mischievously.

"She says where would the fun in that have been?" Hermione relayed.

Giles shook his head once more. "Slayers."

Hermione and Buffy laughed, making Giles crack a small smile at the witch's carefree manner.

It was what they needed the most at these times of war, a light hearted person to make them all forget their worries.

Hermione suddenly stopped laughing and her face lit up. "Hedwig!" She exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Giles asked.

"Harry's owl." Hermione explained, holding her arm up for the elegant snowy owl to land on. "Hey girl, long flight? Well, you can rest for tonight before making that trip back."  
The owl hooted and gently nipped Hermione's ear. Giles just watched in amazement.

"Oh, sorry. Owls are used in the wizarding world as a form of postal service. Sort of like messenger pigeons. They can find any address in the world. Very efficient." Hermione explained upon seeing Giles and Buffy's puzzled faces.

Hermione picked the letter off of the owl's leg and let Hedwig fly off to roost in one of the trees. She undid the letter and began to read. It was from Harry and Ron.

_Dear Hermione, _

_Why didn't you tell us you were leaving? You had us worried sick. It was thanks to Kingsley that we managed to find out where you were. Rather convenient that we know the Minister of Magic, eh? _

_Anyway, we hope you are settling in well and are alright. Not much has happened here. Ginny is back at Hogwarts and we are looking at temporary jobs until we can get into Auror training. I hope you send a letter back with Hedwig_

_All our love_

_Your brothers_

_Harry and Ron_

_xxx_

Hermione smiled as she read the letter. "I didn't tell them I left. They wanted to see if I'm alright." She told Giles and Buffy.

"That's nice of them." Giles smiled.

"Yeah, you have some good friends there." Buffy agreed.

"The best. We were called the Golden Trio during the war." Hermione replied to both of them. "Harry was the chosen one, Ron was the strategist and I was the brains."

"So you were smart back home?" Buffy asked.

"I was called the Brightest Witch of my generation. I got the highest OWLs, grades that is, since Rowena Ravenclaw herself." Hermione grinned.

"Is that a long time?" Buffy asked at the same times Giles asked who Rowena was.

"Rowena Ravenclaw lived about a thousand years ago. She was one of the four founders of my magic school." Hermione replied, effectively answering both of them.

"Along with this Slytherin bloke, right?" Giles confirmed.  
"Yep. Nasty guy that Slytherin." Hermione grimaced.

The back door opened and Faith stuck her head out. "Hey, we're going to the Bronze. Want to come? I figured it would let the girls let off some steam and we could go hunting."

"Didn't you go two nights ago?" Giles asked.

"Well yeah, but we weren't going for hunting. Besides, there's no B to stop me." Faith added, looking rather sullen.

Buffy scowled. "She's endangering the girls. I know the Bronze is good for hunting, but still."

"I'd love to." Hermione interrupted Buffy, smiling at Faith. "What could it hurt?"  
Buffy huffed. "Weren't you listening to me?"

"Great, get ready and we'll get going." Faith grinned and ducked back inside the house again.

"I was listening. If there is any chance of danger then one Slayer probably isn't going to be enough." Hermione told Buffy. "It's logic. Safety in numbers."

Xander was sat in a chair at the Bronze, Willow and Kennedy already out on the dance floor and Anya was at the bar. They had come earlier than the others. There were less people than usual there, but a good number of people were still there along with a band.

The door opened and Xander's eye was drawn immediately to Hermione. She looked fantastic.

She was wearing a red tight t-shirt that only came half way down her torso with a gold lion emblazoned on it with the word 'Gryffindor' above it. She was also wearing a pair of tight jeans and some ballet flats. Her hair was in a casual ponytail with a few tendrils framing her face. Natural make up highlighted her good looks.

To Xander she was the best looking woman in the room. Gulping down the last of his drink, he approached them.

"Hermione." He greeted.

Hermione blushed lightly. "Xander."

"Care for a dance?" Xander asked, feeling a little nervous.

Hermione smiled up at him and Xander felt his breath catch. "I'd love to dance with you."

Xander guided the girl onto the dance floor and the two began to dance to the beat.

After a moment, the song changed to a much slower song and Xander and Hermione moved closer together. Hermione's arms slid up around Xander's neck and his hands came to rest on her hips. The two swayed to the beat, lost in each other.

"Even though you have only been here a couple of days, I found myself liking you. Really liking you." Xander said softly.

"I like you too. Really like you." Hermione replied, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"I think I want to kiss you know." Xander murmured, his gaze drawn to her plump lips.

"I think I want you to." Hermione whispered.

Xander's head dipped down as Hermione's tilted up and their lips met in a sweet kiss.

Their lips moved together and a blissful feeling radiated between them. Hermione pulled herself closer to Xander and he increased the intensity of the kiss.

When they drew apart, the two were breathless and smiling. "Wow." Hermione gasped slightly.

"Yeah, wow. May I kiss you again?" Xander asked.

"I'd like that." Hermione smiled before kissing him again.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think. Next Chapter: Anya and Hermione have a little chat.


	10. Chapter 10: Blessings

I am really enjoying writing this and I only have 5 chapters left. Enjoy  
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Chapter Ten**

**Blessings**

The next morning, Hermione was wide awake early and training with Buffy outside in the garden.

"So, are you and Xander an item now?" Buffy asked curiously.

"I think so. I mean you don't usually kiss someone several times and not be an item with them, unless of course you are drunk or it is a one night stand." Hermione replied, kicking the dummy squarely in the chest as it bounced back.

"I think you will make him happy." Buffy mused.

"I hope so. He makes me happy." Hermione punched the dummy and followed it up with another kick.

"I'm glad. After what you told me about your war, you deserve some happiness."

"Yeah, I'm not looking for a happily ever after but a happily ever now would be nice."

"I like that. But maybe you will have a happily ever after once all this is done."  
"Maybe, but we have to get through it first." Hermione kicked the dummy so hard the head came off. "Opps."  
"It's fine. I used to do that all the time. Then I got used to holding back a little." Buffy grinned.

"I'm still getting used to it all." Hermione sighed. She stretched and then looked at her wrist watch she had bought. "Hmm, I'd better go get changed and ready for the day."

"Yeah, see ya later. I'm going for a wander around Sunnydale." Buffy waved and wandered off.

Hermione was lacing up her trainers when someone knocked on her, well Buffy's, bedroom door. "Come in!"

The door opened and Anya poked her head around the door. "Hello Hermione. I was wondering if I could talk to you."

"Of course. Make yourself comfortable." Hermione smiled gesturing at the bed.

Anya came in and seated herself opposite the young witch, gathering a pillow into her arms and hugging it.

"What did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked.

"I was coming to talk to you about Xander. I know he's not the best man in the world, but he will always be my first love." Anya told the younger woman.

"I know how that feels. I loved my friend Ron for years, until we kissed during the battle. Then I realised he was more like a brother. That doesn't mean I don't love him. It just means it took too long and by then my love changed." Hermione replied.

"Well, I will always love Xander. We were going to get married you know." Anya sighed.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, curious.

"On our wedding day this demon who wanted revenge on me turned up. He played on Xander's insecurities about our wedding and pretended he was an older version of him."

"He showed Xander this god awful life that we could have had if we married. Xander was so scared about what he saw, he called it off. We broke up after that and I became a vengeance demon once more." Anya sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry." Hermione placed a hand on the demon's arm.

Anya smiled at Hermione. "You're a good woman, Hermione Granger, and I think you will be good for Xander."

"Anya…"

"No, I really believe that. He is a wonderful, caring man but he needs a level headed woman to ground him. I didn't understand enough of this world to be that. But you are."

Hermione looked down. "I know what this means to you. Are you sure you want to do this? It means you will be letting go."

Anya nodded. "I'm sure. You deserve him. You will make a good match and you won't judge him."

Hermione hugged the elder woman tightly. "Thank you, Anya. This means so much to me."

Anya felt tears well up in her eyes and held the young woman tightly. "I will never get used to these emotions."  
Hermione giggled. "I don't think any of us do. It's best to just go with the flow."

"Damn the human body."

"It's not all bad."

"No you're right. I will miss some things that Xander does. He is rather good at sex." Anya mused.

Hermione blushed and Buffy's ghost made herself known by laughing at Anya's blunt way of speaking.

"That's our Anya. Always the same!" She called.

Hermione giggled slightly. "Thank you again Anya. I will cherish him until the day I die."

"You better. And if he hurts you I am only a wish away." Anya smirked before slipping out of the room, leaving Buffy and Hermione alone to talk again.

"Is she always that blunt?" Hermione asked, amused.

"Always. A side effect of being a demon for hundreds of years and then suddenly not being a demon anymore." Buffy replied with a slight shrug and smile.

"Knock, knock. Who were you talking to?" Xander asked as he poked his head around the door.

Hermione looked over at Buffy before shaking her head. "No one." She replied, patting the bed next to her.

Xander hurried in and sat next to her, drawing his new girlfriend into his side. "Good morning."

Hermione turned her head and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Good morning."  
"So what was Anya talking to you about?" Xander smiled, nuzzling into Hermione's neck.

"She gave us her blessing." Hermione told him.

Xander froze. "Huh?"  
"She wants you to be happy. She is happy for us to be together. She was letting you go." Hermione ran her hand through his black hair.

"Really?"

Hermione made a hum of confirmation.

"Aw, you gotta love Anya." Xander grinned.

"She will always love you, you know." Hermione told him.

"And in a way I will always love her to. But I have you know and I am happy to see where we go." Xander kissed Hermione's cheek and the young Slayer leaned into him.

"I think I could love you Xander Harris."

"And I think I could love you too, Hermione Granger."

Buffy smiled at the couple as she slid out of the room, unnoticed at the two began to kiss.

She walked down the stairs and into the basement. Spike was sat in the corner of the room, holding something in his hand. Buffy moved behind him and gasped softly as she noticed he was holding a picture of her, Willow and Xander back when she first came to Sunnydale.

"Oh, Buffy. Why did you have to go? I miss you, we all miss you." Spike muttered, stroking the picture of Buffy's face.

A ghostly tear ran down Buffy's transparent cheek and she took a shuddering breath. In her own way she had come to almost love Spike and it was killing her, again, to see those she loved grieve for her.

Buffy ran a hand down Spike's cheek and the Vampire froze. His eyes darted around the small room.

Spike was looking at the picture when he felt as if a hand was stroking his cheek. He looked through the dimly lit room for the source. Dare he hope? "Buffy?"

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Please Read and Review. Poor Spike, he must think it's the First again. But Buffy is finally gaining some hold on this world. Next Chapter: Buffy asks Hermione to tell everyone that she is still there as a ghost.


	11. Chapter 11: Buffy's Orders

**Me: Is anybody there? Is anybody reading this? Hello?**

**Buffy's Ghost: Hi. **

**Me: Argh! *Clutches heart* Don't do that Buffy. **

**Buffy: Sorry. I was just reading your Fanfictions. They aren't very good are they?**

**Me: I thought they were ok *sulks***

**Buffy: Well, for starters in the earlier ones the paragraphs were way too chunky and in the others...**

**Me: *rolls eyes* Yeah, yeah. You know I am the writer of this story. I can easily write you out of it.**

**Buffy: But you don't own me. So I'll be back.**

**Me: Darn!**

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**I hope you like this chapter and prove Buffy wrong :)**  
**

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Chapter Eleven**

**Buffy's Orders**

Later that evening, Hermione was sat by the window in the living room reading while the others were either in the basement or in the kitchen working over Faith's plan.

"Hermione?"

Hermione's head jerked up to see Buffy standing in front of her with a small smile on her face. "Yeah?" She asked.

"I want everyone to know. It's time." Buffy told the young witch.

Hermione nodded. "I'll get everyone here." She flicked her wand and sent a Patronus to gather everyone as she couldn't be bothered to move from her comfortable spot.

Within minutes, everyone was gathered in the living room, staring at the otter as it darted around the room once more before disappearing into thin air.

"What was that?" Xander asked after a bit.

"That was a Patronus. It's a spell used to either relay messages or fight of these things called Dementors. They can be produced with the thought of a happy memory." Hermione recited.

"Amazing." Giles murmured.

"What did you want us all here for?" Faith inquired.

"Well, I have something to tell you." Hermione began, she met Giles' eye and nodded. Buffy placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Well, my coming here wasn't an accident or coincidence. I had a guide. She appeared just when my Slayer strength appeared. She has been helping me become a true Slayer." Hermione began. "Buffy hasn't left this world yet. She is still here, a ghost."

Spike's eyes widened in realisation. "That's what I felt in the basement, wasn't it? Her touching my cheek."

Buffy nodded. "He looked so sad, I had to try and comfort him. I didn't realise he could feel me."

Hermione relayed what she had said. Some of the potentials were still sceptical.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Caridad asked.

"She is. I have had the pleasure of conversing with Buffy through Hermione." Giles announced.

"Wow, amazing." Amanda breathed.

Dawn's face was lit up. "She's still here? Really here?"

Hermione walked over and placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Yes, she is."

Dawn, on impulse, hugged the witch.

"Tell them that I was right, to go to the vineyard with you." Buffy ordered.

"Buffy says she was right. To go to the vineyard with me." Hermione relayed, slightly confused.

"Even beyond the grave she is bossing us around. If we follow her we will end up dead too." Kennedy sighed.

Hermione frowned. "Why would you doubt Buffy?"

"That raid I told you about? She led us into it. I lost my eye because of that raid and we lost some good potentials." Xander told her.

Hermione bit her lip. "But she hasn't given me reason not to believe her. I will go, with or without you."

"That's my girl!" Buffy grinned.

"Then you go without us. We can't risk it, B and Mya." Faith told the Slayers.

Hermione nodded. "Very well." She turned on her heel and walked out of the house.

The potentials sat there and watched her go. "What if she gets killed?" Vi asked after a minute.

"She won't. Right Giles?" Xander protested, his voice tinged with worry for his new girlfriend.

"We can only hope." Giles sighed.

"It could have been the first." Faith said, remembering her own interaction with the First.

"Maybe." Giles mused.

"Anyway, right now we need to end this. Those of you who are coming with me to the arsenal, you know who you are. Let's end this thing." Faith told the girls, grabbing an axe and heading to the door.

At the vineyard, Caleb was walking through the tunnels with The First who had assumed Buffy's from. "Shouldn't be long now." He said, with a smirk. "Prophesises say one thing, brute strength says another. We'll get it out."

The First sighed as it watched the Bringers work on a rock slab. "I heard you Caleb."

"We're almost there." Caleb argued.

"Yes, that's true. Now rouse the Bringers, get them back to work…" The First didn't have time to finish as there was a thump and a dead Bringer tumbled down the stairs.

"Sorry. Actually, no I'm not. I hear you have something that belongs to us." Hermione told the First and Caleb.

Buffy grinned behind her. "You go!"

Hermione ran down the stairs and glared at Caleb who was standing looking at her menacingly.

"Well, if it ain't the Slayer witch." Caleb sneered.

"Where is it? I'm going to find it. I helped track down pieces of a man's soul, this thing shouldn't be too hard." Hermione retaliated as she scoped out her surroundings.

"No, you're not. I lay one hand on you and you're just a dead little girl, much like your predecessor." Caleb taunted.

"I dare you. Lay a hand on me. If you can." Hermione challenged, eyeing up her opponent.

Caleb lunged. "Protego!" Hermione cried and the priest ricocheted off the shield charm.

"Magic tricks!" Caleb snarled.

Hermione tucked her wand into her jeans pocket and began to properly fight Caleb, using all her training.

Caleb charged at Hermione, but she leapt on top of one of the many barrels of wine out of harms way.

"Run!" Buffy called.

Hermione nodded and ran along the barrels of wine, her predecessor at her side with each step. They both scanned the area as they ran for any sign of this weapon. "Anything?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing. Keep running." Buffy replied.

Hermione yelped slightly as Caleb's hand missed her ankle by mere inches. A pyramid of barrels cascaded onto him, burying him beneath the wood and wine.

As Caleb threw the barrels off of him he saw the First standing next to him. "Caleb, this is getting embarrassing." The First snarled.

"Do you mind?" Caleb snapped.

"Will you concentrate?" The First sighed, exasperated.

"Then stop talking to me!" Caleb growled.

"Fine. Go. Kill." The First huffed before disappeared in a twinkle of light beams.

In Sunnydale high, Faith and the girls crept through the halls with only their torches for light. Suddenly, Faith stopped them.

"Everybody stop. I think we just found it." She commanded, shining her torch on a lot of swords and axes.

"Look at all this." Kennedy gasped.

"I don't get it. Why would they abandon all this stuff?" Vi murmured in awe.

Her question was answered when eight bringers dropped from the ceiling holding their ceremonial daggers.

"Maybe 'cause they didn't." Faith remarked sarcastically.

Caleb grew more and more angry as the fight wore on. He hadn't been able to hit Hermione once yet. Finally he smirked in triumph as he cornered the young witch against a support pillar.

"Duck!" Buffy cried moments before Caleb took a swing at the younger woman.

Hermione ducked as intstructed and the supporting pillar collapsed under the force of Caleb's punch. The man himself winced and spun round to face the witch.

"Up here!" Buffy called as she stood on top of some wine barrels. Hermione leapt up and landed neatly beside her.

"Thanks." She smiled at the Ghost.

Her smile faded as Caleb snatched the wine barrel she was standing on out from under her. Using her instincts, Hermione leapt up and grabbed onto a wooden beam.

Caleb let out a roar of anger. "You demon whore!"

"You know, you really should watch your language. If someone didn't know you, they might think you were a woman-hating prick." Buffy quipped despite the fact Caleb couldn't hear her.

In Sunnydale High, the battle between the girls and the Bringers was intense. Faith beat up a Bringer before turning round just in time to stab another, saving Vi's life. Amanda fired an arrow at another, but it missed. She reached back for another arrow and froze.

It had been her last arrow. Throwing caution to the wind, the young Potential charged at the Bringer with a battle cry. Faith raised her eyebrows. That girl had guts.

Caleb grabbed a barrel and charged towards the witch with it. Hermione and Buffy both noticed the trap door. They exchanged a look and, while Caleb charged at Hermione, leapt into the air, using the bar for leverage, and swung over his head.

Hermione slid into the trap door and the two girls smiled at each other in triumph. "Perfectly executed." Buffy grinned.

"Thank you. A ten out of ten for yourself too." Hermione giggled.

Meanwhile, Faith stood up in the darkness. Around her, the Bringer all lay dead.

"Is that it? I mean, not that that wasn't fun but…" Vi started.

Kennedy and the others began to check out the area, just in case. Then something caught Kennedy's eye. "Yo, Faith! Check this out." She called over her shoulder.

The girls and Faith walked cautiously down some stairs, leading to the basement. Their torches were the only source of light in the room. Kennedy's torch lit something up and she was about to pass it by when Faith took her torch.

The Slayer approached the metal box with great caution. Who knew what could be in there. She was hoping it was the weapon. She kicked open the box and pulled open the lid.

A beeping filled the Slayer's ears as she took in the sight of a box full of explosives and a little timer counting down from eight. Faith's eyes widened. "Everybody get down!" She screamed.

There was a huge explosion that blew Faith and a few of the potentials across the room.

Back in the Vineyard Hermione and Buffy's eyes set upon the most glorious sight. The object that could tip the scale in their favour. A weapon.

But it wasn't just any weapon. It was a gleaming axe with a stake for a handle. "It's a two in one kinda deal." Hermione joked.

"Yeah." Buffy breathed.

Caleb appeared behind them as he walked down the stairs with a cocky swagger. "So… you found it. Not impressed. 'Cause the question now, girly-girl, is can you pry it from solid rock before I come over there and-" He stopped.

Hermione jogged over during his little speech and pulled the rock from the stone. She was reminded of the story of the Sword and the Stone from Arthurian legends. Both former and present Slayer looked over the weapon with interest.

Caleb's face fell. "Darn. Now before you go hurtin' yourself with that thing, why don't you do yourself a courtesy and hand it over now?" He desperately tried to negotiate

"Yeah? You want it?" Hermione said, stepping closer and adjusting the axe in her hand ready for battle."

"You don't even know what you got there." Caleb sneered.

"I know you're backing away. In my experience, that usually means I have the upper hand." Hermione retorted.

"You think wieldin' some two-sided doo-dad's gonna make a difference?" Caleb lied.

"It might." Hermione shot back.

The First in Buffy's form suddenly appeared beside Caleb. The real Buffy and Hermione exchanged a bewildered look.

"It stole my looks! Identity theft or what?" Buffy gasped.

"Let her go, Caleb." The First commanded. Seeing his unease about doing so, the First repeated it's command. "I said, let her go."

Caleb eyed the axe warily. "If I let her go, she slices me open with that thing."

"No, she doesn't. She hasn't got time. She has friends and

her friends are in trouble." The First turned to Hermione. "Faith go boom."

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Please Read and Review. First of all, I apologise for the crappy little thing at the top. I was kinda bored. I hope you enjoyed this chapter none the less. Next Chapter: Hermione finds out about the Scythe and meets Angel.


	12. Chapter 12: Scythe

Wow, I knew this chapters were going to be long, but sheesh! I hope you enjoy them none the less and anything you recognise belongs to their rightful owners and not me :(**

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Chapter Twelve**

**Scythe**

After the battle in the vineyard, Hermione had gotten out of Caleb's grasp by way of the First allowing her to go. With Buffy's guidance she had been able to take down her first Uber-Vamp and save the remaining Potentials.

Things at the house were looking slightly grim, so Anya and Andrew had gone to the hospital for supplies. While they were out, Hermione had gone to the graveyard where Buffy had told her she had seen a Pyramid not long before she died.

Buffy had said that she had seen a symbol which was on the rock they had prised the axe from on the tomb. So Hermione was on her way to check it out and see if there was any link.

"So, where is this place?" Hermione asked after a moment.

"Do you really have to ask?" Buffy pointed out, gesturing to Hermione's right.

Hermione saw the huge pyramid and ducked her head in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah."  
"Are you getting blind in your old age?" Buffy teased.

"Ah, shut up. You're older than me anyway." Hermione waved off the Slayer's teasing.

Buffy stuck her tongue out and the witch shook her head before running over to the entrance.

She pushed the door. "It's shut."  
"Then kick it open." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Hey! I'm still not used to all this Slayer strength and stuff." Hermione defended, kicking the door in.

She entered the pyramid and looked around. It was dimly lit by some flaming torches on the wall. "Wow, look at this. What do you think it is?" She asked Buffy.

A voice from behind a curtain put the two on edge. "I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten how young you would be. Comes from the waiting. The mind plays tricks."

The curtain opened and an elderly woman, still beautiful, stepped out. She looked at the scythe with a smile. "I see you found our weapon." She said.

Buffy exchanged a look with Hermione. "Who's she?"

Hermione shrugged. "Who are you?" She asked.

"One of many. Well… time was. Now I'm alone in the

world." The woman replied.

"Wow, cryptic much." Buffy remarked sarcastically. Hermione shot her a glare.

"So what are you? Some kind of ghost? I really don't need another one of them on my hands." Hermione asked.

"No, I'm as real as you are. Just… well, let me put it this way: I look good for my age. I've been waiting." The woman held her hands out for the Scythe and Hermione handed it over. "You pulled it out of the rock. I was one of those who put it in there."

Hermione's eyes widened and she looked over at Buffy. "She really wasn't kidding. She's really old!" Buffy gasped.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to the matter at hand. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it?" She asked the old woman, her voice full of respect.

"A weapon. A scythe. Forged in secrecy for one like you who— I'm sorry. What's your name?" The woman smiled kindly.

"Hermione." Hermione replied.

"Ah, an ancient name for an ancient warrior. It's better than those modern names, like Buffy. What kind of a name is that?" The woman told the young girl.

Hermione suppressed a laugh and glanced at the ghost who was looking rather insulted.

"We forged it in secrecy and kept it hidden from the Shadow Men who-" The woman began.

"Yeah, met those guys. Didn't really care too much for 'em. They forced the Slayer into existence." Buffy huffed.

"I see you are in contact with your predecessor. In that case she has told you about these men, no?" The woman smiled.

"Yeah, just now." Hermione agreed.

"Ah, yes. Then you know. And they became the Watchers and the Watchers watched the Slayers… but we were watching them." The woman explained.

"Oh, so you're like a god." Hermione realised.

"Huh?" Buffy asked.

"Not quite. I am one of the Guardians. Women who want to help and protect you. We forged this centuries ago, halfway around the world." The woman corrected.

"Hence the Luxor Casino theme." Buffy quipped.

"Forged there, it was put to use right here… to kill the last pure demon that walked upon the earth. The rest were already driven under. And then there were men here, and then there were monks. And then there was a town… and now there is you. And the scythe remained hidden." The woman continued.

Buffy frowned. "How come Giles didn't know any of this."

Hermione too was puzzled. "I don't understand. How come no one knew of this?"

"We hid, too. We had to until now. We're the last surprise." The woman handed the Scythe back over to Hermione.

"Does that mean we can win?" Buffy asked.

"This is a powerful weapon." The woman began.

"Yeah." Hermione agreed quietly.

"Got that right." Buffy said at the same time.

"But you already have weapons. Use it wisely and perhaps you can beat back the rising dark. One way or another, it can only mean an end is truly near." The woman finished.

Hands suddenly appeared out from the curtains and snapped the woman's neck. The Last Guardian fell to the floor, dead.

Hermione and Buffy watched in horror as Caleb stepped out from the curtains. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that last part on account of her neck snappin' and all. Did she say the end is near… or here?"

Hermione ducked as Caleb punched her, his fist slamming into the stone pillar behind her and creating a hole.

She pivoted and tried to hit him with the scythe, but each time missed as he moved impossibly fast for a human.

"You're not slipping out of this fight, girl. Can't you see? You can't stop me. I can just keep going back for more. It's like being re-born." Caleb taunted.

Hermione grit her teeth. "I know someone who was really reborn. He was still able to be killed!" She snarled before launching the blade at Caleb's unshielded head.

Caleb grabbed the blade and kicked Hermione. She flew in the wall and dropped the scythe on impact. She saw Caleb move towards the scythe and scrambled to intercept. But was too slow.

Caleb picked up the scythe and twirled it around with a triumphant grin on his face. Hermione's hand flew to her pocket and she smiled with her own triumph as she found her wand.

Standing up, Hermione pointed her wand at Caleb. "Accio Scythe!" She called. The scythe flew from Caleb's hands into her own.

Caleb growled and lunched at her.

"Protego!" Hermione cried.

Caleb richoeted off the charm and landed flat on his back. "Get him with the stake end!" Buffy shouted.

Hermione deftly spun the scythe ran and went to stab Caleb in the neck with stake end of the scythe.

Caleb caught it mere inches from his face and glared at the Slayer. He used it to send Hermione to the floor.

When she struggled to her feet once more, Caleb punched in the face. He hit her again and again. Each time pain lanced through Hermione and she could feel herself slipping.

"You know, I gave you ample warning. I told you not to interfere. And you chose not to heed." Caleb taunted.

Not wanting to give up, Hermione charged once more. But Caleb caught her and threw her into a stone pillar. The force sent Hermione's head reeling and she nearly lapsed into unconsciousness. She vaguely registered Caleb picking up the scythe.

"I was kinda hopin' it'd go this way." Caleb sneered. He lifted the scythe up and readied it for the killing blow.

But a voice behind him stopped him. "Hey."

The mystery man punched Caleb in the face and he went flying into a wall, dropping the scythe.

"Angel." Buffy breathed.

Angel reached down to help Hermione up. "I was never much for preachers." He quipped.

"Thanks." Hermione smiled weakly.

"Are you alright?" Angel asked.

"Fine. Timely entrance by the way." Hermione commented.

"Thanks. Who are you? Where's Buffy?" Angel looked around the pyramid for the dead Slayer. "I heard she needed a hand."

Caleb got to his feet, his anger showing clearly in his face. Angel moved himself to defend the stranger.

"I'll tell you later. But for now…" Hermione began.

"Ah. This one of those things you have to finish yourself?" Angel nodded in realisation.

"Afraid so." Hermione nodded.

Caleb and Hermione leapt into the fray while Angel leant casually on a pillar to watch, Buffy at his side and staring at him with great sadness in her eyes. She missed him so much.

"You are so gonna lose." Angel muttered as he watched Hermione pick up the scythe fight.

"Got that right." Buffy grinned.

After a few minutes of vicious fighting, Hermione swung the scythe round and embedded it in the priest's side.

He fell to the floor, his eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling. Hermione staggered away, tired from the fight.

"See, all good." She smiled.

Angel supported her. "So, where's Buffy?"

"Well, I'm here replacement. Caleb, that guy, killed her a few days ago. I'm sorry." Hermione explained gently.

Angel shook his head. "Oh, god. Buffy."

"Ask him what he is doing here?" Buffy called.

"Uh, so what are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

"I got wind of what was happening here. It's The First, right? The First Evil." Angel explained.

"Yeah and it's raising an army." Hermione sighed.

"Well, I'm here to tell you…" Angel began. He didn't finished as Caleb leapt up and hit him in the head with a wooden idol.

Caleb's eyes were pitch black and he had black liquid rolling out of his eyes and mouth. "Are you ready to finish this, bitch?"

Hermione swung the scythe up to block a hit from the idol. The two danced around again. "How many times do I have to kill this guy?" She called to Buffy.

Buffy shrugged.

"You understand nothing." Caleb sneered.

The two began to properly fight and Caleb slammed Hermione repeatedly against the ceiling. Hermione wheezed at the lack of air.

Buffy could only watch on helpless as Caleb picked Hermione up by her neck, strangling her.

"You think you have power over me?" Caleb snarled.

Hermione found her wand and used a wordless spell to knock Caleb away from her. She regained the axe and spun to see Caleb back on his feet once more.

"Stupid girl. You'll never stop me. You don't have the ba-" Caleb stopped as Hermione swung the axe up, as told to by Buffy, and buried it between Caleb's legs.

"Who does nowadays? All the bad guys I have met haven't. And now, you're no different." Hermione sneered.

Caleb's mouth was a perfect O shape. Using all her strength, and bravery, Hermione pulled the blade up cutting him in two.

Angel leapt to his feet once more. "Okay, now I'm pissed. Where is he?" Then he noticed the parts on the floor.

"He had to split." Buffy's ghost joked.

Hermione barely held in the laughter before she went on to introduce herself properly to Angel.

After a while, Hermione was heading back to the house with no Angel as, per Buffy's insistence, she had sent him back to L.A, and a folder and a amulet. She was to give the Folder to Giles and keep the amulet safe. All they knew was that it was important.

Buffy placed a hand on the quiet girl's shoulder. "Uh, well done today. I don't think I could have done it better myself." She praised the young witch with a smile.

"Thanks. It means a lot. Now maybe, with this information, we might have a chance at winning this." Hermione sighed.

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Please Read and Review. Only 2 reviews :( Okay, I know it's not the best story but it is nearly over. Only 4 more chapters. Next Chapter: A memorial is held before battle.


	13. Chapter 13: Memorial

I am now not totally following the exact story and line up of what happens in the episodes. I hope you enjoy it none the less. :)**

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Chapter Thirteen**

**Memorial**

When Hermione got back to the house, she was shocked to see Dawn come charging down the stairs. She had done as Buffy asked and sent the girl away with Xander so she was safe.

Dawn marched up to the Slayer and kicked her in the leg sharply, glaring the whole time.

"Ouch. What was that for?" Hermione asked, resisting the urge to bend down and rub her leg.

"You sent me away!" Dawn whined.

"Buffy asked me to. She wants you to be safe." Hermione replied.

"But I want to help. I need to help." Dawn sighed.

"I understand. I really do. If you want to help then you can." Hermione smiled.

"WHAT?" Buffy roared. "NO! She's my little sister, I will not have you putting her in danger!"

Hermione glared at the ghost. "Tough. Dawn wants to help, and we need all the help we can get. I haven't fought many uber-vamps but they are nasty. Besides, we'll be there. I'll protect her."

Buffy sighed dejectedly. "Fine, but if she joins me any time soon I will haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Noted." Hermione nodded. She walked into the living room to see Xander and Anya, the latter holding an ice pack to the former's head. "Are you okay?"

Xander smiled weakly at his girlfriend. "Those Summers women are just rather violent."

"I'm sorry." Hermione leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Xander's lips.

"It's not your fault." Xander smiled.

"So, any info about the Scythe?" Willow asked coming into the room.

"Not much. Made by these Guardians. I could have got more out of her, if not for Caleb killing her. But he got what he deserved." Hermione sighed, sitting at Xander's feet.

"So he's out of the picture?" Xander inquired, stroking Hermione's hair gently.

"Yeah, I cut him in half. It wasn't pretty." Hermione winced as she thought about Caleb's demise.

"He had it coming." Anya sighed.

"Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone's invited!" Xander grinned widely.

The group gave him a look with raised eyebrows and the young man looked down at his hands.

"Sometimes I shouldn't say words." He muttered.

"I thought it was funny." Hermione kissed him. "So where's Spike? I need to talk to him."

"Down in the basement." Willow replied.

Spike was punching his punching bag that had a cartoon of Angel taped onto it.

"Huh, you don't like Angel much do you?" Hermione said in an amused tone.

Spike turned and gave her a small smile. "Not really. I travelled with him for years, but he never grew on me."

"Figures." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, what was that thing he gave you? I followed you and saw him, but I had to duck out. The First was irritating me." Spike asked, sighing as he thought over how the First had taunted him, saying that Buffy had only really loved Angel and had only been with him for kicks.

"A medallion. I think it belongs to you." Hermione pulled the medallion out of her beaded bag and handed it to the Vampire.

Spike looked at it before turning to her. "How'd you figure?"

"Angel said it is supposed to be worn by one with a soul but is more than human. By a champion and it isn't Angel" Hermione told him.

"Me? A Champion?" Spike gave a disbelieving look.

"You won your soul, didn't you? Buffy told me all about it." Hermione smiled kindly.

Spike took the medallion and swallowed thickly. "Thank you. I've been called many things in my time…"

"But not a champion. Sometimes it's not always a good thing. But I think it chose the right man." Hermione patted the Vampire on the shoulder before slipping out of the basement.

She bumped into Xander who held her tightly. "We're having a memorial in the garden after sunset. For all those who have died, you know?" Xander told her.

"Sounds lovely. I'll be there." Hermione leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I love you." She whispered.

Xander looked down at her surprised. "I love you too."

The couple leaned together and shared a sweet kiss. Spike and Buffy watched from their respective places, both wishing they could be the couple that were kissing.

As the sun set, the Potentials, Faith, Andrew, Spike and the Scoobies stood outside. Hermione exited the house with Buffy at her side. She moved forward and cast a spell on some wood to lit it.

They all stood quiet for a moment, watching the embers rise into the night sky.

"Soon it will all end." Giles said suddenly. "Hopefully, those who died will not have died in vain."

"No one dies in vain. Remus and Tonks didn't die in vain, Fred didn't die in vain. Albeit we won, but when it looked like we were losing, they still hadn't died in vain. Like them, all those who have died because of Caleb died heroes." Hermione told them.

"Who?" Anya frowned.

"Remus Lupin and his wife Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin died in the war at Hogwarts, Fred Weasley also died in the war. Dobby, the bravest House elf ever also passed saving us, as did Alastor Moody when they were ambushed moving Harry to a safe location. I think this applies to them too." Hermione smiled sadly.

"Did you know any of them well?" Xander gently wrapped a comforting arm around Hermione's waist.

"Remus was like my mentor. He was a werewolf you know. Tonks, she was the best person you could meet. She could change her looks at will and often entertained us during sad times. Her son inherited her abilities. Fred was a twin and he and his brother own a joke shop. Fred was an amazing man. Alastor was nicknamed Mad Eye Moody, but he was a fiercely loyal Auror." Hermione paused, bowing her head.

"Dobby was the best. We had known him since the second year of Hogwarts. Almost killed Harry trying to protect him. He saved us after I was tortured at Malfoy Manor. He was so brave." Hermione lifted her head. "But enough of the causalities of my war, we need to honour those who died here."

After the memorial, everyone moved back inside except Hermione and Buffy who stayed outside. They stayed still, looking at the stars, each lost to their own thoughts.

Suddenly Caleb stepped out of the shadows and moved to stand next to Hermione. "Pretty, ain't it?" He mused.

Hermione glared at him. "You're not him."

"No, you killed him, right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm. Course it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm. I've got an army." The First agreed.

"Not another my army is bigger than yours is it? This is really immature." Hermione quipped.

Buffy grinned. "You're catching on."

Hermione nodded at her.

The First wasn't impressed. "Every day our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. Some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls, don't know the pointy end of a stake. Maybe I should call this off…"

Hermione glared darkly. "Not a chance. We will fight you to the bitter end." She passionately argued.

Buffy leaned back on the railing, knowing the First couldn't see her. "Have you ever considered a cool name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless… how about the Taunter? Strikes fear in the hearts of-"

Hermione moved her glare to her predecessor and Buffy fell silent with a small shrug.

"I will overrun this earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh." The First continued, grinning evilly.

"Keep talking. I've heard the same thing before, though he was corporeal and was killed by a seventeen year old boy. So, in that case I'm not really afraid." Hermione said in a bored tone.

"Then why aren't you inside in your one eyed lover's arms? 'Cause he can't help you. Nor Faith, nor your friends. Certainly not your wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill."

The First took on Buffy's form. "You know the drill. After all, you were called when Caleb killed Buffy."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and Buffy huffed and looked the other way. "Disrespect." She muttered.

"'Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to…' There's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone." The First taunted, reciting the same speech Buffy had told Hermione and Giles had told Buffy.

"You're right. But at least maybe I might die doing something worthwhile. I'll be fighting, like a true Gryffindor!" Hermione retorted, her eyes sparking with inner fire.

"Hermione?" Xander called from the door.

Hermione turned to face him and when she looked back, the First was no where to be seen.

"Are you alright? You look a bit pale. Is something wrong?" Xander asked, stroking Hermione's hair.

"No." Hermione paused, her brilliant brain working a hundred miles an hour. Suddenly, an idea hit her and she grinned. "Yeah. I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before. We're going to win."

Hermione was standing in the living room with everyone. "Do you think you can do it?" She asked Willow.

Willow shifted nervously. "I'm still not stable."

Hermione smiled softly. "I have faith in you."

Willow nodded. "Let's do it."

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Please Read and Review. I hope you liked this chapter. This story is almost over, but enjoy it while it lasts ;) Next Chapter: Pt 1 of the battle.


	14. Chapter 14: Final Battle Pt1

The first part of the battle scenes. I did try to keep as much to the script as I could, I hope you enjoy it :)  
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Chapter Fourteen**

**Final Battle Pt.1**

Hermione and the large group followed Robin Wood towards Sunnydale High. Hermione stared at the derelict building as they walked down the halls.

Robin stood at the front, facing the girls. "Welcome to Sunnydale High. There's no running in the halls, no yelling, no gum-chewing. Apart from that, there's only one rule: if they move, kill them."

Hermione and Buffy walked to the front and Hermione recited what Buffy told her. "Okay, potentials in the basement. Follow Faith and Spike." She ordered.

Faith, Spike and the girls ran off towards the basement. Xander chose this moment to try and lighten the mood. "If you have to go to the bathroom, it's to your left. If you don't have to go to the bathroom, picture what you're about to face. Better to go now."

Hermione sighed heavily and looked at Buffy who had a serious look on her face. "They're all so young." Buffy said.

"Yeah. It's too soon." Hermione agreed.

Robin pointed to a room off to the side. "Willow, my office is straight through there."

"It's right over the seal." Buffy said.

Willow froze. "Buffy?" She gasped.

"Huh? You can see me?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, it's like you're kinda blurry, but here." Willow replied as the remaining members of the group stared at her.

"Hey, we don't have time to waste. Get to it." Giles ordered.

They all snapped back to attention. "I'll start getting you set up." Kennedy told Willow

Willow smiled lovingly at her new girlfriend. "Thanks."

Kennedy walked off, leaving Hermione, Xander, Dawn, Anya, Andrew, Giles and Willow with Robin.

Robin indicated everyone except Hermione and Willow. "Okay, civilians… if the vampires get upstairs, we have three areas they could get through to another building and then down into the sewers. Down the hall in the atrium, the north hall here and the primary target, through the lounge and straight to the science building. Now odds are most of them will head there."

Giles nodded. "Teams of two, then? I suggest you and I take the lounge." He said to Robin.

Robin nodded. "I concur."

Buffy decided to make sure her sister was safe. "Xander, I want you with Dawn."

Hermione shifted. She felt a tad left out. But this wasn't her fight, not really. It was Buffy's.

"I concur." Xander grinned.

"We'll check out the atrium." Dawn told her sister.

Anya nodded. "So that leaves me and the dungeon master in the north hall."

Andrew looked solemn. "We will defend it with our very lives." He declared.

Anya rolled her eyes. "Yes, we will defend it with his very life." She repeated.

Andrew looked hurt.

"And don't be afraid to use him as a human shield." Xander told her, receiving a slap on the arm from Hermione.

Anya just grinned. "Good, yes! Thanks."

"It's not the time to joke about saving yourself by killing another." She said, reprimanding them.

"I just want to say how proud I am to die for this very special cause with you guys." Andrew smiled weakly.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as he pulled out a piece of paper. Speeches were all very well and good, but couldn't they wait until the end of the battle?

"There's some people I'd like to thank, both good and evil. A shout-out to my brother Tucker who gave me the inspiration to summon demons and also-"

Anya simply grabbed his arm and dragged him off down the hall. "Nobody cares, ya little monkey." She told him, her voice affectionate towards the boy.

Dawn turned to Hermione. "I'm going to check out our field of engagement." She told her.

Buffy reached out a ghostly hand to stop her. "Dawn…."

"No. Anything you say is going to sound like goodbye." Dawn protested, with a sad smile.

Hermione looked away from the intense look the two sisters shared, feeling as if she were intruding.

Buffy and Dawn broke their gaze and Dawn walked away under the watchful eye of her sister's ghost.

When she was gone, Buffy turned back to the remaining four. The original Scooby gang plus one.

Slowly she observed them. They had come through so much together, yet they still stood strong. Albeit much older, wiser and a hell of a lot more different than when they met at the tender age of sixteen.

Suddenly she smiled. "So… what do you guys want to do tomorrow?" She asked in a light tone.

Hermione looked at her incredulously while the others all seemed to take it in their stride. She seemed to do that a lot.

"Nothing strenuous." Willow replied casually.

Hermione smiled slightly. It was a relief that they were thinking positive and happier things, a blessing when facing a bloody battle.

"Well, mini-golf is always the first thing that comes to mind." Xander added, nodding slowly.

"I think we can do better than that." Giles scoffed.

"I was thinking about shopping— as per usual." Buffy suggested.

"Is there a wizarding alley? I could use a few more books." Hermione asked eagerly.

"We can always look into it. Oh! There's an Agnes B in the new mall!" Willow grinned.

"Good. I could use a few items." Xander grinned, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"Aren't we going to discuss this? Save the world and go to the mall?" Giles argued.

"I'm having a wicked shoe craving." Buffy shrugged.

"You're a Ghost. You can't really wear them, can you?" Xander pointed out.

"Eh, we'll find a way." Willow waved it off.

"And here I am, invisible to the eye, not having any say…" Giles rambled to himself as the four young adults meandered off down the hall.

"See, I need a new look. It's this whole eye patch thing." Xander began, gesturing to his socket.

"I said my world could sort it out." Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah, but for now." Xander replied.

"Oh! You could go with the full black secret agent look." Buffy grinned, her ghostly eyes lighting up.

"Or the puffy shirt, pirate-slash-poet feel. Sensitive yet manly…" Willow agreed.

"Now you're getting a little renaissance fair on me." Xander joked, his free hand up.

"It's a fine line." Buffy shrugged.

"That's true." Hermione agreed, snuggling into her boyfriend's side for comfort.

Giles watched them go, an ironic smile settling on his lips. It seemed a life time ago that the young teens had become friends, united by the world of dark. Now, they had all changed, but were still together, defying even death.

He sighed and muttered to himself the very words he spoke all those years ago. "The earth is definitely doomed."

He shook his head and walked off towards the lounge to join Robin to do his part.

Meanwhile, the wiccan, the witch, the one-eyed boy and the ghost continued their walk down the hall. Willow shut her eyes, smiled at the others, and she and Buffy broke off to head to the office. After all, a ghost wouldn't be much use to a Slayer.

A little further down the hall, Xander and Hermione shared a sweet, yet passionate kiss, before he ran off to join Dawn in the atrium. This left Hermione alone. The lone warrior about to lead her troops into battle like her predecessor would have done.

Spike moved to Hermione's side as she entered the basement. The potentials and Faith were already gathered around the Seal of Danthazar. Faith pulled out a knife that Hermione vaguely recognised as Andrew's and handed it to her.

"You first, Mya." She told her fellow Slayer.

Hermione took a deep breath before slicing her hand and allowing her blood to drip onto the Seal. One by one, the Potentials and Faith followed her lead.

They watched as the Seal absorbed their blood and it opened. Hermione stared into the dark pit below. With a glance at Faith, she stepped into the Hellmouth.

Faith followed shortly after her. After all, why should Buffy's replacement have all the fun?

In Robin's office, Willow, Kennedy and Buffy's ghost all sat together. Candles and various totems surrounded the Wicca in a semi circle, the Scythe positioned in front of Willow.

Kennedy sat opposite her lover, watching the red head for any signs of distress. Buffy was sat just beside her, her presence not disturbing any of the preparations for the spell. They watched as Willow made the final preparations.

Kennedy glanced at Buffy who nodded. "They should be in place." She told her lover.

"Okay. Magick time." Willow laughed a little nervously. "You ready to kill me?"  
Kennedy sighed. "Starting to be."

Willow nodded. "Good. Fun. Great."

She reached out and took hold of the scythe before looking up at her companions seriously. "Brace yourself."

"You can do it, Will." Buffy smiled.

"Come on, Red. Make it happen." Kennedy murmured softly.

Down in the Hellmouth, Hermione and the others emerged in a dim, shadowy cave.

Spike sauntered up to her. "Not to be a buzzkill, love, but my fabulous accessory isn't exactly tingling with power." He told her, tugging on his amulet.

"I'm not worried." Hermione replied firmly, believing in Buffy and Willow.

"I'm getting zero juice here… and I look like Elizabeth Taylor." Spike began to sulk a little.

Faith snorted as she heard his comment and moved to the other side of Hermione. "Cheer up, Liz. If Willow's big spell doesn't work, it won't matter what you wear."

Hermione shot her a glare. "I'm not worried." She repeated.

They pressed on and began to fan out as the tunnel opening widened. They came to a halt as the path ended with a sharp drop. Below them, the light of blazing fires flickered and hissing and growing filled the huge cavern.

Carefully, Hermione, Faith, Spike and the Potentials peered over the edge.

Hermione's eyes went wide and her stomach felt as if it were gone. An army way bigger than Voldemort's had ever been, filled with snarling Turok-han vampires who were readying for war filled the cavern floor below them.

Beside her, the Potentials became rooted with fear and Faith was shooting uncertain glances at her fellow Slayer.

Hermione knew that Buffy and Willow would never lie for her and, through the stories Xander told, Buffy had a way of pulling through no matter the odds. "I'm not worried." She said, her voice taking on a nervous undertone.

"Really? 'Cause I'm flashing back to Xander's whole bathroom speech." Rona told her with a raised eyebrow.

Amanda, who was standing beside Rona, looked terrified. "Hermione…" She began.

"I'm not worried. As long as Willow can work her spell before they-" Hermione began.

Silence reigned over the cavern, never a good sign, and brought their attention back to the army, who were now looking up at the group assembled on the path.

"-See us. Why did I say that? It always works so well for those in the films." Hermione muttered sarcastically.

The Turok-han army charged at the walls and began to scale them with surprising speed and ease, the cave echoing with their horrendous rage filled cry of war.

Hermione suddenly began to doubt her processor and the Wiccan witch. "Willow." She whispered as the army ascended ever closer to her and the rest of the group.

Back in Principal Robin Wood's office, Willow was being watched avidly by Kennedy and Buffy.

They watched as the happy go lucky red head that was like a sister or lover to each began to chant, invoking powers she had only ever dreamed of before.

Willow's eyes widened as the power began to rush through her. "Oh… my… goddess!" She gasped.

Before her, the scythe began to glow a pure, brilliant white colour as it's power began to flow into Willow's hands.

Buffy watched this with a smile on her face. Her plan was coming together.

She began to reflect on the moment she had presented this idea to the others through Hermione.

_Hermione stood nervously before the Potentials, the Scoobies, Faith, Robin, Spike and Andrew. Buffy had been telling her her plan and it was up to her to pitch it to the others. _

_She opened her mouth and continued the speech she hoped would be as awe inspiring as one the Great Albus Dumbledore would have made. One that would be remembered for years to come. _

"_So here's the part where you make a choice. What if you could have that power… now? In every generation one Slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men." Hermione paused. _

_She turned to Willow with a confident smile, and it was returned by a more nervous one by the Wicca._

"_This woman is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power." _

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_Please Read and Review. I hope you liked this chapter and the other should be right up as soon as I work out where Hermione comes in. Next Chapter: The one before last, the Battle ends_  
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	15. Chapter 15: Final Battle Pt2

There will now be three parts to the final battle. It was getting to long. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but the story's almost done :)**

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Chapter Fifteen**

**Final Battle Pt.2**

In Robin's office, Kennedy's head shot up as the power of the Slayer coursed through her veins. She looked over at Buffy and grinned in delight. Now she knew what Buffy always talked about.

She could almost hear Hermione's voice as the power of the Slayer rushed through her.

"_Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny."_

Down in the Hellmouth, one by one, the power of the potentials filled them.

Vi, Rona and Amanda looked at each other as the power that had once belonged to only one girl filled them. They too could almost hear Hermione's speech.

"_From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer." _

And indeed, at that moment, hundreds of girls around the world felt the power of the Slayer rush over them.

Hermione shifted on the balls of her feet, watching as her speech from the day before became truth.

"_Every girl who could have the power, will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up._ _Slayers… every one of us. Make your choice. Are you_

_ready to be strong?"_

Hermione smirked. "They won't know what hit them. Not even Voldemort could stop us." She muttered to herself.

Somewhere behind her, Vi shifted the stake she held in her hands with a confident smile. "These guys are dust."

The first swell of Turok-han Vampires breached the cliff edge. Spike, Hermione and Faith led their new troops into the fight of their lives, the true final battle.

The Potentials fought like they had never fought before, using all the moves Hermione, Buffy and Faith had ever used. They finally understood what they had been saying all along about the Inner Slayer.

They let their instincts guide them into roundhouse kicks, uppercuts, sidekicks and so many more moves against the super-vampires. The impossible fight suddenly seemed possible.

A sense of hope began to fill the girls as Vi sent a Turok-han tumbling over the abyss with a single, powerful leap. Rona snapped another's neck with her cast while Amanda impaled another on her lance, turning it to dust.

Buffy watched as Kennedy obviously was relishing the feel of the power that once ran through her own veins. Kennedy grinned, but it soon faded into a frown.

"Willow?" Kennedy asked, bringing the Ghost's attention to her best friend.

Willow was glowing a beautiful white colour, her hair pure white and her expression was one of pure joy. In the next instant, the spell ended and the pure white faded away to Willow's normal red hair and leaving said girl panting in exhaustion.

Kennedy stared at her girlfriend in awe and Buffy turned away to give the two women some privacy.

"You… are a goddess." Kennedy gasped.

Willow smiled. "And you're a Slayer." She replied, breathless from the force of the spell.

She handed the scythe to Kennedy with a smile. "Get this to Hermione." She told the other girl.

Kennedy grabbed the Scythe and ran out of the room to find the Slayer-witch. Once she was gone, Willow slumped to the side.

Buffy jumped up and hurried to her side, worried. "Willow? Will, are you okay?"

Willow began to giggle. "That was nifty."

Down in the Hellmouth, the Slayers and Spike were giving as good as they got, beating back the Turok-han.

Hermione felt the adrenaline she had been missing since the war fill her and she grinned, knowing this was what she lived for.

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione turned to see Kennedy throwing the Scythe towards her. Using the reflexes that came from both being a Slayer and the war, she deftly caught the Scythe and spun, cleaving the head off a Turok-han who had been coming up behind her.

"That's more like it." She muttered, grinning as she continued to dispatch Turok-han after Turok-han.

Kennedy watched the Slayer-Witch in awe. She was brought out of it when a Turok-han hit her on the head, sending her stumbling back a bit. She kicked it in the chest, making it double up, and brought her elbow down on its neck with all her Slayer strength, snapping it cleanly into two.

"I could get used to this." She smiled, grabbing another and smashing it's head against the ceiling.

Hermione, Faith and Spike watched in horror as a dozen or so Turok-han broke away and dashed up into the school where the others were waiting. Before they could move, more replaced them. All they could do was continue the fight.

Anya and Andrew stood in the hall of the school, swords held nervously. They could hear the cries of the Turok-han Vampires as they charged into the main body of the school.

"I think they're coming." Andrew said, looking up and down the two corridors that they stood in the middle of.

"Oh, god. I'm terrified. I didn't think - I mean, I just figured you'd be terrified and I would be sarcastic about it." Anya replied, shaking with fear.

"Picture happy things. A lake, candy canes, bunnies…" Andrew told her, trying to calm the demon.

Anya stopped shaking at the last word, her face becoming hard and firm in resolve. "Bunnies. Floppy, Hoppy Bunnies." She said coldly, readjusting the sword in her hands.

Elsewhere, Giles and Robin braced themselves to bravely face the Turok-han as they raced around the corner and attacked.

Giles made short work of decapitating the one he was fighting while Robin threw his arms out to the side. Two fighting daggers shot out of his sleeves, the razor sharp edge glinting. He sliced open one Turok-han before shoving a blade through the throat of another.

Anya parried a blow from a Turok-han's deadly saber, focussing only on her battle. She faintly registered Andrew's cry as another Turok-han pinned him against the wall.

"I have swimmers ear!" Andrew weakly protested, terror clearly in his voice.

Anya pivoted and disembowelled the Turok-han before the ash of the one she had decapitated hit the floor. While Anya was saving Andrew, six Bringers silently slipped up the hall towards them.

Back down in the Hellmouth, the Slayers and Spike were battling ferociously. Spike snapped the neck of a Turok-han, loving the feel of adrenaline race through him.

Suddenly, an unseen force smacked into him hard and he stumbled back. He looked down at the medallion and reached to touch it. A searing heat ran through his palm and he dropped it with a gasp of pain.

"Hermione! Whatever this thing does, I think its…" Spike let out an agonised scream and began to writhe in pain.

His cries were lost to the battle and Hermione's ears. She was focussing on beating back the ever expanding line of Turok-han with Buffy's advice.

She grinned as two of the Turok-han she was fighting turned to ash. She looked at Buffy before calling out an order. "Keep the line together! Drive them to the edge! We can't let them do…"

Hermione gasped in pain and looked down to see a Turok-han's sword emerging from her stomach. She looked up and met Buffy's wide eyes. "Buffy?"

She staggered forward a little before crumpling to the floor, face down and eyes rolling back into her head in pain.

"Hermione!" Buffy yelled.

She turned and saw Faith fighting nearby. "Faith!"

Faith hurled a Turok-han off her and turned at Buffy's call of her name. She saw the young witch lying face down on the ground and Buffy's worried face. "Hermione!"

She ran over and knelt down beside Buffy's ghost. "Is she alright?" She asked.

Hermione grimaced and looked up. "Hold the line." She gasped, pushing the scythe into Faith's hands.

Faith nodded and stood up, leaving the ghost to comfort the weak witch. She began to wield the scythe with grace and superhuman speed. Turok-han after Turok-han met an end at Faith's hand.

In the Atrium, Dawn and Xander were fighting valiantly. Xander charged as three Turok-han attacked. He drove them into the centre of the circle on the floor and Dawn pulled on a rope.

Sunlight streamed into the hall as tarpaulin fell away to reveal a beautiful glass ceiling. The Turok-hans disintegrated and Dawn and Xander shared a smile.

"We call that the Greenhouse effect. Very dangerous." Xander quipped with a grin.

He was tackled to the floor by another Turok-han and Dawn leapt into the fray.

Back in the North hall, the Bringers were making themselves known. A bringer had Andrew pinned against the wall as another approached with a dagger raised high to attack.

Anya came to his aid like before and ran the Bringer through with her sword. As the bringer crumpled to the floor, another came up behind her and slashed his sword down.

Anya's eyes widened in shock and pain as the blade cut her in half from her right shoulder to her left hip. She crumpled to the floor, dead instantly.

Back in the lounge, Robin took out a Bringer and spun to face the next attacker, but was slashed across the abdomen. He staggered back, staring at the wound in morbid fascination.

Giles killed the Bringer and rushed to catch Robin before he could fall to the floor.

Down in the Hellmouth, the odds looked bleak as for every one Turok-han killed, three more took its place. But still they fought on, clinging to the thin thread of hope.

Faith swung the scythe round, dealing death with each swish of the blade. But there were too many she was overwhelmed.

"Rona!" Faith yelled. She threw the Scythe to the younger Slayer before being driven to the ground by five Turok-han.

Rona deftly caught the blade and took over the older Slayer's job, killing as many Turok-han as she could.

Hermione lay still on the ground with Buffy crouched next to her, muttering soothing things and encouragements to the young woman she had come to care for as a sister.

Hermione could only watch on as she clung to conciousness as one of the young Slayers, the Chinese girl, was bitten by a Turok-han. It ripped her neck and the girl died.

Her attention was brought closer to her as a bloody stake fell only inches from her face. Amanda fell to the floor in front of her, her dead unseeing eyes staring into her own.

Buffy gasped, horrified at the blood that covered one of the young Slayers. She remembered counselling the young girl and teaching her all she had to know. The worst thing was, she had seen the young girl several times throughout her time in Sunnydale, watched her grow up. And now her life was over.

Hermione's eyes slid shut as the pain grew too much while the battle raged on around her.

"Hermione, don't go to sleep. You can't!" Buffy protested desperately trying to wake the Slayer-Witch.

"My part is over." Hermione muttered, her eyes still shut.

Images from the final battle at Hogwarts played on her eyelids. Severus Snape bleeding to death, seeing Fred fall, killing one of the Carrows, seeing Harry's dead body being carried by Hagrid, finding out who had died.

"I have fought in enough wars. I've had enough." She sighed softly, wincing slightly.

Buffy felt sympathy for the young girl and bowed her head sadly, she knew the wound was bad.

The sounds of the battle faded away and a familiar voice reached Hermione, chilling her.

She looked up to see Bellatrix Lestrange leering darkly at her. "Aww the itty bitty witch has a mortal wound. Poor baby." The First cooed.

"You have to get up." Buffy pleaded with Hermione.

"You pulled a nice trick. You came pretty close to smacking me down. What more do you want?" The First teased.

Buffy just glared at the First, smouldering hatred glowing her eyes as she stared at the dead woman's image. Hermione just stared blankly at the First. _What more do you want?_

Images of all those lost in the war of the Wizarding World flashed through Hermione's mind.

Sirius laughing as he ruffled Harry's already messy hair at Christmas, making jokes and enjoying life.

Cedric Diggory lounging with his friends in the courtyard, his red blonde hair being smoothed down by his girlfriend as his head rested in her lap as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Tonks tripped over the troll's foot umbrella stand in Grimauld Place's entrance hall. She straightened up, blushing before sitting beside her husband.

Remus' eyes lighting up with love and pride as he showed off a picture of Tonks, Himself and their baby son, Teddy, who was proudly sporting blue hair. He was so happy.

Dobby smiling up at her as she and Harry visited him in the kitchens during one of the fights with Ron. He was wearing all the hats and socks she had knitted.

Hedwig fondly nipping Harry's ear as the Trio sat up in the Owlery after receiving a letter from Sirius. She was preening as Hermione gently stroked her breast.

Alastor Moody was giving one of his famous lectures during an Order meeting. Constant Vigilance he would say. His magic blue eye whizzing around in the socket, catching the twins as they tried a prank.

Fred grinning as he flew on his broom after his brother as they left Hogwarts, fireworks and swamps appearing all behind them in a spectacular display.

Hermione's eyes locked with the First/Bellatrix's own grey eyes. She glared darkly as the fight began to slowly appear in her chocolate brown eyes once more. Her face hardened with grim determination.

Buffy and the First watched as strength returned to the Witch and she became defiant once more.

"I want you…to get out of my face! I won't let any more die!" Hermione spat, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees.

Buffy watched on proudly as her successor regained her footing and threw herself back into the fight.

"That's my girl. I think it's safe to say, you lost." Buffy sneered at the First before following Hermione.

The First backed away from the scene and vanished.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next chapter shoudl be up soon.,


	16. Chapter 16: Final Battle Pt3

Wow, this took me a while. I finally worked out Hermione's place during this and kept it as close to the script as I could. I hope you enjoy it, it's the penultimate chapter :)**

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Chapter Sixteen**

**Final Battle Pt.3**

Rona decapitated another Turok-han before catching sight of Hermione. She threw the Scythe and watched as the Slayer deftly caught it and swung it in a 180° arc, taking out 6 more Turok-han.

Hermione drove several more back over the precipice of the cavern, making them fall to their deaths as they slammed into the floor metres below.

Buffy spun quickly, taking her eyes off of Hermione, as a pack of Turok-han exploded next to her. Faith leapt up and continued her deadly rampage as she dealt one killing blow after another.

As if they all got the message of hope, the new Slayers all seemed to renew their attack, finding new strength and determination despite how many had already fallen.

Buffy looked around at the girls she had taught, the ones Willow had gifted with the power of the Slayers. She watched as Vi raked her stake through the abdomen of one vampire then spun and staked another through the neck.

She felt pride flow through her as she watched Kennedy send a Turok-han reeling as she hit it with a roundhouse kick and then decapitated another. This was her army, their warriors.

Across the cavern, Spike stumbled backwards, clutching his chest in pain. It was the worst pain he had ever felt. He lent against a wall as he felt a wave of energy surge up inside him.

"Oh bullocks." He gasped.

He looked down to see a bright white-hot energy join together inside the amulet. The energy burst out of the amulet, making a hole in the roof of the cavern, tearing up and out of the building.

Willow was still lying on the floor, trying to regain her strength after the spell. The energy burst through the floor and out of the ceiling. She stared in amazement and shock. It seemed she wasn't the only powerful one in this school.

Spike was panicking slightly as he stood, unable to move, in the middle of a ring of glowing orange light. "Hermione!" He yelled.

Both Hermione and Buffy turned to face the blonde Vampire. Worry seized Buffy's dead heart. "Spike!" She yelled.

Before the two Slayers, both living and dead, could run toward him, the medallion lit up the cavern with the intensity of the sun.

All around them, the Turok-han burst into ashes as the light hit them. Their screams filled the cave as the light continued downwards into the depths of the cavern where more were lurking.

Buffy appeared at Spike's side as if apperating. She looked at him sadly and he looked into her eyes.

The cavern began to shake and tremble. Hermione gasped and ran to the Vampire and Ghosts' sides.

Faith looked up in horror as chunks of stone and stalactites fell from the ceiling as the ground lurched beneath their feet. "Everybody out now!" She yelled.

The Slayers all ran towards the exit, each hurriedly trying to get to safety as quick as they could.

Faith spotted Hermione who was sticking close to Buffy and Spike. The Witch looked up and caught her eye.

"You go on! I've got this." Hermione called, helping one of the injured girls to the stairs.

Faith nodded and took over the girl before moving up the stairs with her while they could.

Buffy was staring at Spike helplessly as he was bathed in the crimson glow. She had never felt more helpless in her life, well afterlife anyway. She didn't know what to do.

"I can feel it, Buffy." Spike said after a moment.

"What?" Buffy asked, choking on her ghostly tears.

"My soul. It's really there. It kinda stings." Spike replied, a slow smile coming over his face.

Buffy sobbed and looked over at Hermione as she helped the last Slayer out of the cavern. The two locked eyes.

The walls crumbled, the ceiling began to cave in and the floor trembled as the girls ran down the hall towards safety. They barely took in the carnage on that level.

Two of the girls pulled a Bringer off a cowering Andrew. He was bloody, beaten yet alive.

He looked up at the girls sadly. "Why?"

The girls didn't answer, just pulled him down the corridor towards the light of day outside. To safety.

Vi and one of her fellow Slayer helped support Rona as they staggered outside. They looked back to see Robin push himself off of Giles and gesture towards a school bus.

"The bus. Get them on the bus." Robin gasped weakly, ignoring the pain in his stomach. He stumbled off towards the bus.

Giles nodded and ran towards the Slayers to help with any wounded. "Everybody! This way!"

Kennedy smiled at Willow as she helped her towards the exit, Dawn and Xander following closely behind them. They were almost there when Xander stopped.

"Anya! Anya!" He yelled.

Unknown to him, Anya's body lay only metres away, her eyes unseeing and her ears unhearing.

Xander searched desperately for his ex-fiancé but had to admit defeat when Dawn dragged him towards the bus. He sent a silent prayer to whomever listened that Anya was happy wherever she was now and that she was peaceful.

Hermione looked around, checking that everyone was gone before jogging over to Spike and Buffy. She felt tears fill her eyes as she looked at the Vampire she come to know as a friend.

"Spike." Hermione whispered.

"Hey, don't cry pet. At least we know this thing works." The Vampire quipped.

"I'll miss you." Hermione smiled sadly.

"Yeah, me too. Go on then." Spike replied.

Buffy's eyes became wide and panicked. "No! No, you've done enough! You could still…"

Spike shook his head. "No, you've beaten them back. It's time for me to do the clean up."

Tears raced down Buffy's ghostly cheeks and Hermione looked away sadly. She watched as chunks of the cavern ceiling fell away and crashed into the floor below.

"Buffy! Hermione, come on!" Faith yelled from up the stairs near the seal. Her voice echoed around the cavern.

Hermione looked at Buffy and then shook her head. Faith looked torn but Hermione just smiled. Faith sent the ghost and witch a last desperate look before running off into the school.

"Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say, school's out for the bloody summer." Spike told Buffy.

Hermione smirked lightly. "You think?" She asked sarcastically.

Buffy ignored her. "Spike!"

"I mean it! I gotta do this." Spike replied.

The amulet flared brighter, the power level growing. Buffy reached out and entwined her corporeal hand with Spike's. He looked at her in awe as he felt a slight, barely there pressure. His hand caught fire, but the two ignored it as they locked eyes.

"I love you." Buffy told Spike.

Spike smiled ironically. "No you don't. But thanks for saying it."

The two shared a final look, two souls finally coming together at long last. But their gaze was broken when the ground heaved once more and more of the ceiling collapsed.

"Now go! Both of you!" Spike ordered.

Buffy let go of Spike's hand and ran up the Seal, not bearing it any longer. Hermione hesitated at the stairs.

"Thank you Spike. You really are a champion." She told the Vampire with a smile.

Spike nodded. "Good luck. Now you have to go."

"Bye." Hermione blinked back her tears and ran up the stairs to the seal where Buffy was waiting.

Spike began to tremble as the energy level grew. A grin, much like his old, familiar one, lit up his face. "I want to see how it ends." He said to the empty cave as he looked over the destruction.

The front of the new state of the art school exploded in a shower of dust and debris. Through the dust, a figure could be seen running for their life towards the bus.

Faith ran through the dust cloud and made a desperate leap onto the bus. "Go!" She yelled, breathless.

Dawn began to search out of the back window, urgently trying to find her sister's ghost and Hermione throughout the dust and debris. She couldn't see them and felt her heart sink.

Hermione and Buffy ran neck and neck down the hallway as it disintegrated around them. Hermione swore sharply as they discovered the exit was covered by debris.

"Wait, up there." Buffy told her, gesturing to the ceiling where a spot of sunlight was coming through. The two ran up the stairs, hopefully to their salvation.

Down in the Hellmouth, Spike was grinning as he felt the power of the amulet reach it's maximum power. His face began to char and burn as he began to burn from inside like the Turok-han had.

His smile never left his face as, within seconds, he turned to dust. Peace at last for the Champion, for the hero.

Robin was pushing the School Bus to it's limits as he raced the destruction as the deserted town began to fall into the Hellmouth it once sat on so proudly.

In the back of the bus, Xander was helping Giles tend to the wounded Slayers.

Vi was sat beside Rona in the back, trying to keep her sister slayer awake. But Rona was in a bad way, blood gushing down her face and she didn't appear as if she would last long.

Vi, seeing Rona had lapsed into unconciousness, shook her awake. "Look at me! This is nothing! Stay awake! This is nothing!" She yelled.

Near the front of the bus, Andrew sat alone staring unseeingly out of the window. "Why didn't I die?" He mumbled to himself in bewilderment. Images of Anya rushed through his mind. His saviour.

On the rooftops, Buffy and Hermione were running almost level with the bus. Hermione was in awe as she had never run this fast before. After all, the Bus had to be going to over sixty miles an hour. But she knew she had to keep pressing on.

She could hear the buildings behind her being sucked into the Hellmouth at an alarming rate. She was suddenly doubtful she could survive this. This was probably her final battle.

Hermione's heart leapt into her throat as the warehouse she and Buffy were running on collapsed under them. Following the ghost of the former Slayer, she jumped two dozen feet to the next building and pushed on with her running.

In the bus, Dawn was still searching out the back window for any sign of the young Witch and her sister. Suddenly she saw them running level with the bus. "Come on guys." She muttered.

"Buffy! We aren't going to make it!" Hermione cried as she saw another building go down in her peripheral sight.

"Jump onto the bus!" Buffy called back.

"Are you insane?" Hermione spat.

"No, trust me." Buffy told her. "You can do it."

"Okay, here it goes." Hermione took a deep breath and leapt off of the building.

With a super-human effort, she landed onto the moving bus with Buffy's ghost beside her.

The two woman shared a smile. A rumble brought their attention back to Sunnydale. Buffy watched with a tinge of sadness as the town she had lived in for seven years fell into a crater.

Faith watched as the destruction slowed and finally stopped. She turned to Robin. "Ease off. We're clear."

Robin brought the bus to a screeching halt and slumped back in his seat, barely conscious.

When the bus finally stopped, Buffy leapt off of the back of bus and stood to survey the damage.

Hermione leapt nimbly off and landed beside her, staring at the crater. "It's like it was never here." She whispered.

As if it heard her, the only sign indicating Sunnydale even existed fell into the crater with a clang.

"Yeah." Buffy murmured. "It's finally over. We won."

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Please Read and Review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the last one should be up soon. Next Chapter: The Final Goodbyes


	17. Chapter 17: Final Goodbyes

This is the final chapter of Guardian Angel. There might be a sequel but I need to finish my other stories first. There are some guest appearances in this. I hope you like it :)**

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Chapter Seventeen**

**Final Goodbyes**

Behind the two, the doors to the bus opened and people staggered out of it. Willow and Xander walked over to Buffy and Hermione's side, Willow leaning heavily on her friend.

Dawn darted forward towards them; happy Hermione and her sister were okay. Not that Buffy could have died, again. "You're alive! That last jump was awesome!" She grinned.

"Yeah, Buffy coached me." Hermione replied, looking at her mentor with a smile.

"I would have done the same." Buffy shrugged.

"But still, awesome." Dawn pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess it was." Hermione chuckled.

"So, it's finally done?" Xander asked.

"No more Sunnydale." Willow confirmed.

"All those shops the world will never know." Xander sighed wistfully as he stared at the crater.

"The mall!" Buffy gasped, horrified. "Oh, I fought on the wrong side. We destroyed the mall."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "There's more to life than shops." She reminded the ghost.

"Oh yeah? Name one." Buffy demanded.

"Love." Hermione smiled, walking over to Xander and kissing him lightly on the lips.

Buffy looked away grumbling.

Suddenly, a bright white light landed on Buffy. They all stared mesmerised. Buffy looked up, her eyes wide.

"It's time. I have to go." She told them.

"Buffy! No!" Dawn cried, moving closer.

"I have to Dawnie." Buffy sighed sadly.

"But, you'll never show me the world." Dawn protested.

Buffy sighed as the flashback ran through her mind. It was when she and Dawn were trapped underground while Willow went to destroy the world while on a power high.

_Dawn hugged Buffy, rubbing her sister's back. "Its okay, Buffy. It's okay." She soothed. _

"_No. It hasn't been. It hasn't been okay." Buffy sat back and looked at her little sister. "But it's gonna be though. I see it."_

_Dawn frowned. "See what?" _

_Buffy smiled softly. "You."_

_Dawn looked at Buffy with awe. She felt touched that her sister felt that way about her. _

"_Things have really sucked lately, but its all gonna change. And I wanna be there when it does. I want to see my friends happy again. And I want to see you grow up. The woman you're gonna become. Because she's gonna be beautiful." Buffy continued, fighting tears. _

_Dawn looked at her sister, her own tears welling up in her eyes as her sister's tears spilled onto her cheeks. _

"_And she's going to be powerful." Buffy added. She spun on her heel and walked towards the coffin. _

"_I got it so wrong. I don't want to protect you from the world. I want to show it you." She turned to face Dawn again. "There's so much that I want to show you." _

"I might not be able to show you the world myself, but you're gonna see it. I promise." Buffy smiled sadly.

"But what about watching me grow up? And seeing your friends be happy?" Dawn argued.

Buffy walked over and placed her ghostly hand on her sister's cheek. "I will be watching. I might not be here with you, but I'll always be watching with Mom."

Dawn sobbed heavily. "I'll miss you."  
"I'll miss you too." Buffy smiled.

"What about us?" Xander asked.

Buffy moved to Willow, Xander and Hermione's side. "Will, Xander, you guys have always been there for me and I will always be there for you. In here." She told her friends, touching their hearts.

She turned to Hermione. "Hermione Jane Granger, what is there to say about you?"

"How about how she's a total bookworm?" A voice behind her asked, a carefree voice.

"Or how she is brave and smart?" Another voice added.

"Or how sexy she is?" Another added.

Hermione gasped as eight ghostly figures emerged from the white light. The first was a tall red haired man with a carefree grin on his freckled face. The next was standing beside a pink haired woman and had sandy blonde hair and chocolate eyes.

Beside them was a tall, black haired man with kind grey eyes that held mischief. Next to was an elderly man with twinkling blue eyes, outrageous robes and a long silver beard. He was standing next to a dark sallow man with black eyes. Beside him stood a beautiful red haired woman with vivid emerald eyes. A man who looked identical to Harry stood beside her, his hazel eyes gleaming.

The red haired woman smacked the grey eyed man on the arm for his comment. "Sirius Black!" She scolded.

"Aw, come on Lily!" Sirius pleaded.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to the young Slayer-Witch. "Hermione, we are all here to help your successor cross over and to relay our goodbyes and messages. I would like to thank you for not only saving my son over and over again, but for now saving the world. My son has good taste in friends." Lily told her.

Hermione bowed her head. "Thank you, Mam. You're too kind."

James Potter laughed gaily. "I think she's underestimating you really. You truly are remarkable."

"I could have told you that." Severus Snape snapped. He turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, you were one of my most brilliant students and if I had not played the spy, I would have encouraged you further. I am truly honoured to have taught you."

Hermione blushed. "I am the one honoured, sir, to have been taught by you."

Severus just waved off her praise and turned to talk to Lily, ignoring James completely. Even in death, he hated the man.

Sirius was next. "Blimey, Mione, you grew up. If I was alive…" He grinned flirtaously.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and Sirius laughed. "Okay, I get it. Listen, could you pass on a message to Harry for me? I could relay it during the Final Battle, but could you tell him it wasn't his fault and I'm happy now."

"I will do. He misses you." Hermione sighed.

"I miss him. Oh, and I never did tell you how wickedly brilliant you are." Sirius winked and moved over to join James.

Remus and Tonks stepped up. "Thanks, Mione, for helping Harry and Mum with looking after Teddy. He needs a role model. Could you tell him stories of us? I have a journal I want him to have too; it's in my old Hogwarts trunk. Tell Mum, yeah?" Tonks gushed.

"I promise. I wish I could have saved you." Hermione smiled sadly.

"Eh, no worries. It was our time. Remus, Honey, I'll be over here." Tonks kissed her husband and moved to her cousin's side.

Remus placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You were like the daughter I never had. I can't tell you enough how proud of you I am. Never forget that."

"Never." Hermione replied tearfully. "I love you, Mooney."

"Love you too Cub." Remus smiled before moving off towards Tonks and the others.

That only left two more. Fred and Dumbledore.

Fred was first. "Hey, Mione. Do me a favour and tell George to stop moping and open the shop. We need laughter in our lives." He told the young girl.

"I will." Hermione replied.

"Great. I gotta love ya and leave ya. Time for old Dumbledore to say goodbye. Love ya, sis." Fred grinned before bounding off.

Dumbledore took his place. "Miss Granger, Hermione, you have courage unparalleled in any young woman I have ever met. Not only did you send your own parents away with no memory of you, but you came here to fight a war that was not your own. You are truly a Gryffindor." He praised her.

Hermione smiled and felt a need to hug the ghost, but resisted it as she couldn't anyway. "Thank you, Sir."

Dumbledore turned to the other ghosts. "Miss Summers, it's time we left. The Powers that Be want us back."

Buffy turned to face a tearful Giles. "You will always be my Father. Even if not by blood. See ya later, Giles."

"Goodbye, Buffy." Giles replied.

Buffy walked over to where the eight figures stood bathed in the pure white light. She gave a small wave and they faded out.

Everyone stood silent in the aftermath of the spirits leave. "So, you knew the others then?" Xander asked Hermione after a while.

"They were casualties of my war. The red haired woman and the black haired and hazel eyed man was Harry's parents who died to protect him as a baby. The rest were close friends." Hermione sighed, wiping away her tears.

Faith came out of the bus after seeing to Robin. She stared at the crater in amazement.

Something occurred to Willow and her eyes widened. "So, Hermione, Faith what does it feel like to not be the only two Slayers?"

"Yeah, you're free. What are you going to do now?" Dawn asked.

Faith looked contemplative. "Hmm, I think I might go to Vegas, I heard the casinos are awesome."

Xander looked at Hermione. "Hermione? What about you? There are no more wars to fight."

"Something Buffy told me about Slaying, there will always be fights. The fight against the darkness is an ongoing war. But I think for now, I want to take you all to England. To my world." Hermione replied.

"I'd like that." Xander smiled, kissing her.

"And we can see about that new eye." Hermione added, tenderly stroking the eye patch.

"Eye eye, mate Let's get going, it's a long drive to the airport." Xander said, picking her up and heading for the bus.

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Please Read and Review. I hope you liked this final chapter and I just want to thank those faithful few who have been following this story. Thank you so much! I am so happy to have finally finished :)


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